Mischa Barton is a striking beauty with brains that equal her great looks and reflect her astrological chart perfectly. She's an Aquarius, born January 24, 1986 in London, but mostly raised in the U.S. Aquarius, in spite of its name "Waterbearer," is an air sign, the intellectually-gifted group that includes Gemini and Libra. Aquarians are cool, smart and seem just a little bit different than the rest of us. Mischa's culturally mixed background gives her an exotic aura that suits her Sun sign. Venus, the planet of attraction, is right next to her Sun to signal grace, charm and style. Stable Saturn forms a supportive 60-degree sextile to Venus, giving her the appearance of self-control. But underneath her calm exterior lies deep passion and complexity that challenges her relationships, but that makes Mischa compelling on screen. Powerful Pluto forms a tense 90-degree square aspect to her Sun and Venus that indicates how difficult it may be for her to feel content or satisfied. Insatiable Pluto always wants more, requiring Mischa to question herself, and making her a much more interesting person than she seems. Pluto is also a planet of transformation, death and rebirth. While she's unlikely to come back from the dead for the final episode of 'The O.C.,' she's certainly going to resuscitate her career and demonstrate what a powerful actress she can be. Mischa's smoldering Venus-Pluto square shows that there's fire under the ice. She's undoubtedly harder on herself than anyone knows, and likely to be more insecure than she looks. Pluto, though, will drive her to dig deeply inside herself to find abilities she hasn't yet used.

Mischa's Moon, the astrological symbol of emotions, also reflects a softer side of her personality. Hers is in Cancer, a highly sensitive and protective water sign. While this adds to Mischa's need for privacy, it also indicates that she can be a loyal and nurturing friend. When she's on your side, she'll do whatever it takes to support those close to her. Mars, the action planet, is in Scorpio, another water sign. This indicates persistence and a willingness to go to the absolute limits of her ability when roused to a cause. Perhaps her less-than-brilliant performances on 'The O.C.' were like an athlete playing to the level of the competition. Her work was adequate, but certainly not equal to her true ability. Given more challenging material, though, she could dig deeply enough in herself to surprise audiences with her power and passion. With her Aquarius high IQ and the strength of feeling of her Cancer Moon, this complex young woman has a great deal more to show us. And if her mind is fully engaged, she'll find the motivation as an actress to take us where she's never gone before.