Topic summary
Actress
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Actor.
The term "actress"
According to the OED, the earliest recorded occurrence of the term "actress" in reference to stage performance came in 1608 in the anonymous play Famelie of Love. Seventeenth-century English writers sometimes used the forms "actoress" or "actoresse" to refer to a female appearing on stage. In the 19th century, many people viewed women in acting negatively, as actresses were often courtesans; females on stage had become associated with promiscuity. Despite such prejudices, the 19th century also saw early female stage "stars", most notably Sarah Bernhardt.