THE OC - MISCHA BARTON GOES AMERICAN

THE OC star MISCHA BARTON is set to renounce her Irish citizenship to become American.

The teenage actress, who was born in London, has British/Irish citizenship, but she has to give up one as she takes tests to become a fully-fledged American - after growing up in New York.

Barton reveals, "I think I have to get rid of my Irish citizenship, but I don't know.

"They practically hand out Irish citizenship because my dad's not Irish at all; there's no Irish in him, and they said he could have an Irish citizenship."

Barton, 18, chose to take the American citizen test after realising she couldn't vote in the recent presidential election.

She adds, "It's the first time I realised I couldn't do something.

"You have to take this test to do it and I really had no idea what it would be about.

"There are things on the test that I guess they ask you that you never consider would be difficult - like how many states were there originally, and like I blank out on stuff like that at the last minute. And I went to school here my whole life."