From The O.C. to... Ramsay Street? Mischa Barton joins the Neighbours reboot.

In news precisely no one saw coming, The O.C.'s Mischa Barton will be heading to Ramsay Street to join the cast of the freshly rebooted Neighbours!

The 37-year-old, who was one of the 'It Girls' of the 2000s after owning the iconic role of Marissa Cooper in the hit teen drama, will be making a cameo appearance on the show.

"We are excited to announce Mischa Barton will be joining the #Neighbours cast as a guest star, playing the character Reece, an American new to Erinsborough who's not quite who she appears to be…" read the official Neighbours Twitter account.

We are excited to announce Mischa Barton will be joining the #Neighbours cast as a guest star, playing the character Reece, an American new to Erinsborough who’s not quite who she appears to be... pic.twitter.com/Ys0iHnYKCA

— Neighbours (@neighbours) April 17, 2023

Barton's looking forward to joining the cast, with the show expected to return to our screens next year after being cancelled in 2022.

(Because, as we know, nothing that gets cancelled actually stays cancelled these days...) 

"I’m excited to be part of this iconic show’s next chapter, and I am really looking forward to being back in Australia – a place I know and love!" Barton said in a statement, as per Variety.

"I think the character of Reece is going to be a great role for me to explore and play with."

Watch: Mischa Barton talks about Perez Hilton on The Hills: New Beginnings. Post continues below.

Jason Herbison, Neighbours’ executive producer, is pumped by the Hollywood actor's casting, too.

"We are beyond excited to have an actor of Mischa’s calibre join us for this exciting new chapter. Mischa’s character is dynamic and unpredictable, and will have an instant presence on Ramsay Street. Our loyal viewers are going to love her, locally and abroad."

Barton was fresh out of high school when she landed her iconic role on The O.C. and found herself catapulted to fame. 

Speaking to Harper's Bazaar in 2021, Barton said her life changed instantly after joining the show, with paparazzi following her everywhere and tabloid media interested in all aspects of her life – especially her relationships.

"It was really when I started dating that the press started coming for me," she said. 

"There was no relief from it, so I fought for a long time to be unfamous. But the more I shied away, the more frenzied the paparazzi became. 

"It became too much to read about myself every day and to have these publications laugh at my pain. It's something I don't think anybody would be able to get away with to that extent now, not even close."

With her newfound popularity, Baron also found herself targeted by gossip columnists, including Perez Hilton, who regularly body shamed the young star.

Since leaving The O.C., Barton has appeared in a handful of films, including St. Trinian's, Ouija House and The Basement. She's also worked on stage productions including Where the Truth Lies and One Flea Spare. 

At this stage, it hasn't been confirmed exactly when Barton will appear on Neighbours – or, in fact, when the show will officially return to our screens. They only started filming on April 17, so it might be some time yet – but according to some reports, the second half of the year is looking promising, after Fremantle Media partnered with Amazon Freevee and Prime Video as their international partner.

Lights, camera, action, let's go! 🎥 Brand new #Neighbours is officially in production!!! pic.twitter.com/cOgHSNwjsp

— Neighbours (@neighbours) April 17, 2023

Whenever it does drop, there's no doubt Ramsay Street (and the rest of Australia) will welcome Barton with open arms.

Read more: 

Mischa Barton was an 18-year-old virgin when she starred in The O.C. She felt like 'a fraud'.

Mischa Barton was 19 when she was told to sleep with Leonardo DiCaprio for her career.

Feature Image: Paul Archuleta/Getty.