Former THE OC beauty Mischa Barton is desperate to land a leading role in a WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE play after studying the playwright's work in London this summer (06).

The 20-year-old enrolled in the British capital's Royal Academy Of Dramatic Arts (RADA) to improve her acting skills - and she feels she is now ready to take on the toughest challenge an actor can accept.

She says, "I love learning. My course was about Shakespeare and hardly did any of that at school.

"I was really excited to get the chance to read all the plays."