It’s safe to say Mischa Barton didn’t enjoy her time on season 22 of Dancing With the Stars. The O.C. alum compared the ABC hit dancing competition show to the dystopian, deadly Hunger Games in an interview with the Ringer, published on Tuesday, December 20.
“I had no idea it would be so bad,” Barton told the Ringer. “I got told off by my dancer. I was supposed to control the costumes — I was told that I could do the design aspect of it, that’s kind of the reason why I agreed to do it. That didn’t happen,” Barton explained. “It wasn’t collaborative like a choreographer on a film set.… I was so confused by it. It was like The Hunger Games. It was all a popularity contest. It was awful. I was so glad to get kicked off.”
As previously reported, Barton was partnered with DWTS pro Artem Chigvintsev and the tension between the two was visible to viewers. The duo were eliminated during the second episode and Barton has said that being criticized by the judges destroyed her confidence.
With her dancing shoes officially hung up, next on the actress’ agenda is a career reinvention.
“I keep thinking of this thing I heard, that if you don’t reinvent yourself every seven years, you’re doing yourself a disservice,” Barton, who is currently cohosting the Esquire Channel’s car enthusiast show Joyride, told the publication. “I think that’s interesting. I think it’s really hard to do — I think it’s extremely scary for women, especially, every seven years, but I’m kind of at that crossroads again. It’s about time for me again to reinvent myself and do something different.”
