Acting is a difficult business to break into and requires a resilient personality that is not easily discouraged by rejection or disappointment. It will be useful to analyze your own personality and goals to ensure that you have the ability to endure the difficult entertainment industry. The most pertinent and useful qualification you can develop as an actress is talent and a strong commitment to the development of your craft, which will exponentially help you in your goal to become a more successful actress no matter which performance medium you are interested in pursuing. Continue to be curious about yourself and the trade of acting, and you will likely find continued work throughout your career.
One of the most important functions of many actresses, whether it be in film, on television or in theater, is to project their voices so an audience can hear them clearly. Even in film, the necessity for voice projection can pose difficulties for some actresses who have not been properly trained on this aspect of acting work. Taking some classes on speech communication will be beneficial in strengthening this qualification in yourself so that you can become well adept at speaking to an audience. Theater actresses should be even more cognizant of the necessity to project their voices because of the need for the live audience to hear every word they say.
Despite the wide range of acting possibilities for modern actresses, it is still necessary to learn the art of dramatic acting to be a real contender for most roles. Honing your dramatic acting skills will qualify you for a variety of acting positions and make you a more desirable prospect for casting directors and talent scouts, because it will show the range of your ability. Even comedic actors occasionally need to utilize their dramatic skills to successfully execute a scene. Check local art circuits, community colleges and creative centers in your area for information about dramatic acting classes that are relatively cheap but useful in developing your acting career.
Perhaps one of the most integral qualifications for becoming an actress is the ability to memorize lines. Most acting jobs require the actress to learn the lines of the scene to fully execute the director’s creative vision. Learning how to read and to memorize scripts is vital to booking continuous work. Most actors are required to read scripts for casting sessions and in some cases are sent the scripts early to prepare for the audition. Memorizing the lines of a script helps you communicate other aspects of the scene that are sometimes more important than the dialogue itself, such as emotion, humor or subtext. Develop a method to help you memorize scripts, such as personalized cue cards, or ask a friend or partner to assist you with memorization to develop this important trait.