Actress or Actor? What the Word Means and Why It Is Changing
An actress is a woman who acts in plays, films or television. Many performers and awards now use actor for everyone, and the reasons are worth knowing.
An actress is a female actor. The word has been in English since the seventeenth century, when women were first allowed on the English stage — before that, boys played women's parts.
Its use is shifting. Many performers prefer actor regardless of gender, on the grounds that a job title should not be split by sex, and several unions and awards have followed. Others keep actress precisely because the category is still counted separately.
- A woman who performs a role. *She is a stage actress by training.*
- Used in award categories. *Best Actress in a Supporting Role.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | actress | A young actress from Dublin. |
| Plural | actresses | Three actresses read for the part. |
| Neutral form | actor | She describes herself as an actor. |
| Verb | act | He acts in local theatre. |
| Noun (activity) | acting | Her acting carried the film. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The actress had played the part for two seasons.Standard usage.
- He is a fine actor, and so is she.The neutral usage many now prefer.
- She won Best Actress at her first attempt.Award categories keep the older word.
Words that lost their -ess
English has quietly dropped many of these: *authoress*, *poetess*, *aviatrix*, *sculptress* and *manageress* now sound dated or comic. Actress has lasted longer than most, largely because film awards keep it in daily use. Waitress and hostess are the other survivors.
Is actress offensive?
No, but preference varies. Many performers ask to be called actors; when writing about a specific person, use the term they use.
When did women first act on the English stage?
In the 1660s, after the Restoration. Before that, English law and custom kept women off the professional stage and boys played female roles.