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Mischa Barton has revealed that she is taking a break from acting to get a better understanding of Hollywood.
The British-born actress told Marie Claire that being thrust into the industry as a teenager was difficult.
She said: "I didn't understand it. When you're 16, you don't know what the hell you're getting into. Like, I had no clue. Los Angeles was a shock to the system."
The 22-year-old added that she regrets being compared to socialites Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.
She explained: "Sometimes I am a bit surprised when people come up to me and they're like, 'You're so nice! I didn't expect you to be so cool'. It's so weird because I'm like, 'Well, how did you expect me to be?' I'm not really sure what people's preconceived notions are."
Speaking about her DUI arrest last year, Barton commented: "It was a low point in my life. I mean, the truth of the matter is, I was being irresponsible to begin with - I moved to LA and never got a licence.
"I don't know, it was just an awful low for me."
