Hashim Asraff
Scarlett Johansson debuted in Hollywood as a child actor after starring in Broadway shows. Johansson’s first adult role came with the 2003 film, Lost in Translation, where she starred alongside Bill Murray. Since then, the Black Widow actress has established herself as a sought-after actress in Hollywood. Johansson is currently the highest-grossing star in Hollywood, with her movies raking in a staggering $14.5 billion at the box office.
However, the Marriage Story actress was not happy with the way she was utilized by Hollywood at the start of her career. She revealed that she had been typecasted into roles, that overly s*xualized and objectified her.
Scarlett Johansson Condemned Hollywood For Turning Her Into A Bombshell
While Scarlett Johansson is very selective about the roles she accepts, this was not always the case for The Avengers actress. Johansson revealed that her initial roles had all tried to hypers*xualize her and turn her into something far different from her true personality. Johansson was still in her teenage years when she starred in Lost in Translation and Girl With the Pearl Earning in 2003.
The Under the Skin actress was cast as a seductress in the 2005 movie, Match Point. The Jojo Rabbit actress disclosed that she was unable to secure the roles she wanted. During her appearance on the Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi podcast, Johansson shared her thoughts on how Hollywood had groomed her into becoming a bombshell. Johansson told Bruce Bozzi:
“I was kind of being groomed in a way to be this, what you call this ‘bombshell’ type of actor. It would be easy to sit across from someone in that situation and go, ‘This is working.’ But for that kind of bombshell, you know, that burns bright and quick, and then it’s done, and you don’t have opportunity beyond that. It was an interesting, weird conundrum to be in, but it really came back to working at it and trying to carve a place in different projects and work in great ensembles.”
The Scoop actress wanted to become part of projects that would help her build star power in Hollywood. Yet, she initially was typecasted into roles tailored to satisfy male desires. She also feared that these hypers*xualized roles would eventually fade away with age.
How Did Scarlett Johansson Outgrow Her Fears?
Scarlett Johansson currently holds an influential position in the industry. The Lucy actress easily commands salaries in the range of $10-$20 million and selects the roles that she wants. Recently, the Captain America: Winter Soldier actress made headlines for suing Disney for lost royalties from Black Widow due to the movie’s streaming release just 45 days after its theatrical debut. Disney later compensated Johansson in an out-of-court settlement.
The Prestige actress revealed that her shift in perspective away from objectified roles happened after she became a mother. Fans witnessed this transformation with the growth of her Marvel role, Natasha Romanoff, evolving from a bombshell into an in-depth character. Johansson also praised her agent, Bryan Lourd, who helped her find characters in which she could deliver the best.
Johansson wants the current generation of young actresses to have the freedom to choose projects that satisfy them. The Don Jon actress has a list of great projects under her belt lately, including Jojo Rabbit and Asteroid City. Johansson will play Royal Navy Captain, Katherine, in the upcoming theatrical release, North Star, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.
Source: Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi
