a female performer in plays, films, or television
from actor + feminine suffix -ess
An actress acts, but the real acting happens when she pretends the director's notes make sense!
Gendered form assumed default for female performers; parallel 'actor' became gender-neutral in professional usage, leaving 'actress' marked as exceptional.
Use 'actor' for all performers regardless of gender, matching industry standard practice.
["actor"]
Women performers fought for 'actor' recognition as a gender-neutral professional term; this reflects their labor for inclusive terminology.
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