“Am I doing the right job?”: Scarlett Johansson Felt Her Acting Career Was Coming to an End After Getting Rejected From Two Major Movies Including The Iron Man 2
From weathering turbulent trials to creating a truly inspiring career story of being one of the highest-paid actresses, Scarlett Johansson opens up about her career-threatening phase. Disheartened after losing a major role in an Oscar-winning movie, the 38-year-old actress explained her hopelessness following major rejections that led her to question her capabilities as an actor.
Starting her career at a young age in the 90s, Scarlett Johansson became Hollywood’s most bankable star after her appearance in MCU. However, the actress still had to push through the industry’s way of hyper-s*xualizing actresses and hustle after losing career-strengthening roles.
Scarlett Johansson’s Struggle With Hyper-s*xualization
Appearing opposite Ethan Hawke in the 1993 Broadway play, Sophistry, at the early age of 9, Scarlett Johansson marked her entry into Hollywood. Further landing a small role in Rob Reiner’s North, Johansson recalled developing a major crush on Elijah Wood. By the age of 17, the actress was in Tokyo shooting Lost in Translation with Bill Murray. However, despite making an impressive resume, Johansson had to face atrocities in the entertainment industry.
Starring in Sofia Coppola’s film, Lost in Translation landed Scarlett Johansson the best actress BAFTA and a Golden Globe nomination. However, after that movie, Johansson got propelled to an “It” girl status. Revealing how she was deliberately groomed to be a bombshell, the actress mentioned, “It was hard to get out of that pigeonhole”. Adding on, the 38 year old shared, “And I did films…that kind of continued that narrative. I couldn’t make any headway.”
Expressing her struggles and difficulties with the confined characterization, the Don Jon actress further shared about being hyper-s*xualized in the industry. Opening up candidly, the actress stated how she tried fighting against the desirable image of herself. “I got kind of pigeonholed into this weird hypersexualized thing. I felt like [my career] was over.” Johansson stated. The 38-year-old stated how the #MeToo movement conversations in the workplace, allowed her to be more dynamic than just feed the audiences’ demands of being objectified.
Scarlett Johansson Weathered Major Rejections
Navigating through her struggles with being “objectified and pigeonholed”, Scarlett Johansson opened up about her career-threatening phase. Continuing the hustle of making her way out of the s*xual narrative, landed Johansson in a bigger issue, which led her to question her capabilities. “I got turned down for two roles” Johansson stated.
The 38-year-old not only lost a big-budget movie but also an Oscar-winning phenomenal project. “The first was ‘Iron Man 2’ and then the other one was Alfonso Cuarón’s ‘Gravity,’” Johansson revealed. Confession her desire for the role in Gravity, Johansson claimed, “I had wanted that role so much. It was sort of the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Feeling helpless and questioning her credibility, Scarlett Johansson weathered difficult phases in her career. “I felt really frustrated and hopeless. Like, ‘Am I doing the right job?’” Johansson explained. Discussing the projects she was being handed, the 38-year-old stated, “The work I was being offered felt deeply unfulfilling.” However, soon Johansson’s career roared to success, as Emily Blunt, who was to star in Iron Man 2 dropped out due to a contractual obligation with Fox.
Thus, with the opportunity to play the increasingly important role of Black Widow in the ever-expanding Marvel universe, Johansson became the most bankable actress in Hollywood.
Source: Variety
