The term “strong female character” gets bandied around a lot when we’re talking about films and TV series. Is there one? Is there perhaps (gasp) more than one? In a world where it’s still disappointingly rare to see fully-formed, relatable women on screen, the phrase an easy shorthand for saying: “Here is a fictional woman who has more to do than simply seduce or be saved by a fictional man”.

But according to Gemma Arterton, it’s a term we should be careful not to overuse. The actor has played several roles that would appear to fit the definition of a “strong female character”, from Elizabeth Bennet to Tess of the d’Urbervilles. She’ll next be seen playing a WW2 propaganda scriptwriter in Their Finest (the latest film from An Education director Lone Scherfig), followed by a turn as Virginia Woolf’s lover Vita Sackville-West in Vita and Virginia.

However, Arterton says that she avoids using the phrase wherever possible – preferring to use another description.

“I actually prefer the term ‘female-centric’ instead of ‘strong female’,” she tells Variety.

Gemma Arterton nails the problem with the term “strong female character”