Why Are Women Called Actors Instead of Actresses?

TL;DR

“Actor” can describe both men and women, while “actress” remains useful when referring specifically to female performers. Some women adopted “actor” because “actress” carried pejorative connotations and a stigma, but Fiona Shaw argues that changing the label does not erase unequal professional experiences, including the far smaller number of roles available to women.

Transcript

Hello! Catherine here from BBC Learning English. Just so you know, this programme is from the BBC Learning English archive. It was originally broadcast in April 2007 on our website. Enjoy! Hello, I'm Amber, and you're listening to BBC Learning English dot com. In Weekender today, we consider a linguistic dilemma — should we call a woman who acts an... Read More

Key Insights

• “Actress” was first used around 1700, about four decades after King Charles II permitted women to act on the English stage in 1656. During the intervening period, women who performed were called actors, showing that “actor” was not originally limited to men.
• “Actor” became a preferred term among some women during the 1970s and 1980s. This shift directly reflected the women’s movement and increased awareness of gender bias in language, with women taking back a term that could apply without marking their sex.
• “Actress” carried a stigma for some performers because it could have the connotation of prostitution, particularly in Great Britain. Zoë Wanamaker therefore called herself an actor because the gender-neutral term appeared more respectable and conveyed a feeling of equality.
• The Guardian uses “actor” for both men and women after readers argued that the term should apply to everyone. This policy means the newspaper may identify Helen Mirren as an actor even when reporting that she won an Oscar in the category Best Actress.
• Separate terms can clarify the group against which a performer is being compared. Calling Judi Dench Britain’s finest actor means she surpasses male and female performers, while calling her the finest actress compares her specifically with Helen Mirren and other female actors.
• “Blokes” is an informal word for men. David Marsh uses it while explaining that describing Judi Dench as Britain’s finest actor unambiguously places her above male performers as well as women, demonstrating how word choice changes the scope of a comparison.
• A shared occupational label cannot erase different professional experiences, according to Fiona Shaw. She calls that assumption humbug and says it would “cover the cracks,” meaning that a superficial linguistic change could conceal rather than resolve the inequality experienced by female performers.
• Female performers face far fewer available roles, according to Fiona Shaw’s account of young actors’ experience. She says there is one part for women for every eight parts for men, making an actress’s professional life different and supporting her view that “actress” can be a badge of pride.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why do some women prefer to be called actors?

Some women prefer “actor” because the term can apply equally to men and women without explicitly identifying gender. During the 1970s and 1980s, this preference grew alongside the women’s movement and greater awareness of gender bias in language. Zoë Wanamaker also says “actress” carried a stigma and could suggest prostitution, so “actor” seemed more respectable.

Q: When did women begin using actor instead of actress?

Women were called actors when they first began performing on the English stage after King Charles II permitted them to act in 1656. The term “actress” appeared around 1700. Much later, during the 1970s and 1980s, women began choosing “actor” again as a direct result of the women’s movement and awareness of gender bias in language.

Q: Why was the word actress considered pejorative?

The word “actress” was considered pejorative by some people because it could express disapproval and carried an unwelcome suggested meaning. Zoë Wanamaker explains that, particularly in Great Britain, the word seemed to have a connotation of prostitution. This stigma encouraged her to identify herself as an actor, which she regarded as a more respectable occupational description.

Q: Why does The Guardian use actor for women?

The Guardian decided to use “actor” for both men and women after receiving feedback from readers who believed the same term should apply to everyone. The resulting style can create an apparent inconsistency when the newspaper refers to “the actor Helen Mirren” while also reporting that she won an Oscar for Best Actress, the name of the award category.

Q: What is the advantage of keeping the word actress?

Keeping “actress” makes it possible to refer specifically to female performers and distinguish comparisons involving different groups. David Marsh explains that calling Judi Dench Britain’s finest actor means she is better than both women and the “blokes.” Calling her the finest actress makes a narrower claim, comparing her with Helen Mirren and other female actors rather than all performers.

Q: Does using actor for everyone create professional equality?

Using “actor” for everyone does not, by itself, make male and female performers’ experiences equal. Fiona Shaw describes that idea as humbug, meaning nonsense, because adopting the same name would only “cover the cracks.” Her point is that a surface-level language change can hide the different conditions experienced by actresses without correcting those underlying differences.

Q: Why does Fiona Shaw call actress a badge of pride?

Fiona Shaw calls “actress” a badge of pride because women face a tougher professional situation, not because the label lowers their status. She says young actors encounter one part for women for every eight parts for men. Since an actress’s working life is therefore fundamentally different, she sees no diminishment of status in using the female-specific term.

Q: What vocabulary describes attitudes toward the word actress?

Several expressions describe the debate. “Stigma” means a feeling that people disapprove, while “connotation” means a suggested meaning and “pejorative” describes language expressing criticism or disapproval. “Humbug” means nonsense, and “cover the cracks” describes a superficial change. A “badge of shame” signals embarrassment, while a “badge of pride” identifies something worth celebrating.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The word “actress” appeared around 1700, although women had acted on the English stage since King Charles II permitted them to do so in 1656. Women were initially called actors. During the 1970s and 1980s, many women reclaimed “actor” in response to the women’s movement and growing awareness of gender bias in language.

• Zoë Wanamaker says “actress” once carried a stigma in Great Britain because it could suggest prostitution, making “actor” seem more respectable and equal. The Guardian later chose “actor” for both sexes after receiving reader feedback, although its style can produce the unusual phrase “the actor Helen Mirren” alongside the award category Best Actress.

• Fiona Shaw argues that adopting one shared term cannot make male and female performers’ experiences equal. She calls that belief humbug and says it would merely “cover the cracks.” With one part for women for every eight parts for men in young actors’ experience, she considers “actress” a badge of pride, not shame.