Top 10 facts About Actresses

December 8, 1660 is thought to have been the first date on which an actress appeared on a public stage in Britain.

1. On that date, a woman appeared as Desdemona in Shakespeare's Othello but it is unclear whether that was Margaret Hughes or Anne Marshall.

2. Margaret Hughes was also famous as the mistress of general and admiral Prince Rupert of the Rhine.

3. There are also reports of "England's first professional actress, Mrs Coleman" appearing in private theatres from 1656.

4. Katherine Hepburn is the only person to win four best actress Oscars.

5. Research in 2006 claimed that actresses who win Oscars live longer than nominees who don't.

6. The Oscar-winner Geena Davis came 24th in the US women's archery championship in 1999.

7. In 1942, the actress Betty Grable insured her legs for half a million dollars.

8. French actress Marguerite Georges (1787-1867) is said to have had affairs with Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington.

9. "Dreaming about being an actress is more exciting than being one," (Marilyn Monroe).

10. The first definition of 'actress' in Dr Johnson's Dictionary is: "She that performs any thing".