Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role 1943
Greer Garson Mrs. Miniver 1943
SEX WORKER ROLE
Courtesan in William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors 1934
Character Is A Courtesan
(aka Prostitute)
William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors
Greer Garson began her career on the London stage in the 1930s. Among the roles she played was the part of a courtesan in William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” at the Open Air Theatre in 1934.
The word courtesan is a high-class term used to describe a prostitute. But these courtesans aren’t just any call girls. They specifically seek and attract wealthy clients. In return, these men financially support these women with a lavish lifestyle. Their status surpasses that of a streetwalker, prostitute, madam, and even a Lorette, a term used to refer to a respectable mistress. They live luxurious lifestyles, distinguishing themselves from others and earning the status of a celebrity. William Shakespeare featured several courtesan characters in many of his plays.
In Shakespeare’s “A Comedy of Errors” Greer Garson’s courtesan character plays a big role in this story. She has an affair with Antipholus of Ephesus, a man mistakenly believed to be insane. Believing Antipholus to be crazy, the courtesan befriends Adriana, Antipholus’s wife, and even testifies against him. Adriana directs her resentment toward her husband rather than the courtesan.
Michelle Pfeiffer & Oscar Winner Kathy Bates Explains The Term “Courtesan”
To read more about this prostitute role & other Oscar-winning actresses playing a hooker, please continue perusing
If you know of this actress playing more than one prostitute role, please tweet to me and let me know! I’ll gladly add it to the page here. My Twitter handle is at the top of this page.