Mischa Barton says stardom means she is never the 'right weight'

Mischa Barton

The 27-year-old actress shot to fame on TV series 'The O.C.' - where she played troubled teen Marissa Cooper - and at that time was criticized for being too thin, but a few years later she piled on the pounds and hit headlines for her weight gain.

She told People magazine: "It was always, 'She's too skinny, she must be sick. Then it was, 'She's too big.' I was never the right weight."

Mischa struggled to cope with fame in her younger years as an actress and her partying spiraled out of control.

In 2009 she blacked out after having taken a sedative and ended up at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center psychiatric ward in Los Angeles under the involuntary 5150 hold.

Talking about those difficult days, she said: "It was a full-on breakdown. I was under enormous pressure."

Mischa is looking forward to the future and believes her previous experiences have helped her grow into the person she is now.

She added: "I've learned a lot. I'm stronger now."