# Actress vs Female Actor **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 2, 2003, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-vs-female-actor/199115 "2003-09-02T12:54:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-vs-female-actor/199115/21 "2003-09-03T19:03:19Z")
I like and use actress, but I hate poetess. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-vs-female-actor/199115/22 "2003-09-03T20:34:38Z")
This thread makes my head hurt. I think I need to go see my doctoress. ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-vs-female-actor/199115/23 "2003-09-03T22:33:23Z")
What a poetess can do is not unlike what a poet can do. I am going to do a new version of the women - the entire cast will be men, but where will I get the actors. Seeking actors, seeking actress… ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-vs-female-actor/199115/24 "2003-09-03T23:21:34Z")
There is a negative connotation to “actress” but probably not one you’d expect. In the showbiz community, “actress” has a history of being a euphamism for “prostitute”. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-vs-female-actor/199115/25 "2003-09-04T08:10:55Z")
This is true. And back in the day, when women were new to acting, “actress” _was_ a term of derision. But not so anymore. I can see the PC argument of using female actor, but then isn’t that implying that “actor” is a gender specific term, and a female actor is a “special” case? ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-vs-female-actor/199115/26 "2003-09-04T08:14:46Z")
Henceforth, bulls should now be referred to as “male cattle.” ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-vs-female-actor/199115/27 "2003-09-05T06:03:24Z")
Actress carries the same connotation as Movie Star. Nowadays acting is taken more seriously as an art to be mastered. Actresses and Movie Stars can hang out at the Brown Derby. Actors meanwhile put their nose to the grindstone and hone their craft. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-vs-female-actor/199115/28 "2003-09-05T06:27:39Z")
Actress. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actress-vs-female-actor/199115.md?page=1)