 When they were casting for the role of Marissa Cooper, writer  Josh Schwartz (qv) had written to the producers that Marissa was  "the most beautiful girl you had ever seen". They later said that  they chose Mischa Barton (qv) because of her awkward beauty (meant  in a good way), and as Barton herself later stated: "I was up  against girls who looked liked your usual Californian beach blondes.  Guess they decided to go against that."