“You Need Your Parents to Keep You Away From Weird People”: Scarlett Johansson on How She Escapes Hollywood Controversies
Scarlett Johansson’s career has been an inspiring journey, from her beginnings as a child actress to her current status as one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood. However, her path to success was not without its challenges. Back in October 2022, in an appearance on Dax Shepard’s podcast Armchair Expert’s 500th episode, the renowned star of Avengers: Endgame opened up about the difficulties she faced in being “hypersexualized” and “pigeonholed” early in her career, which threatened her artistic growth. During the podcast, Scarlett candidly shared her frustrations about not receiving offers for the roles she desired, attributing it to being objectified and typecast.
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Scarlett Johansson’s Struggles as a Child Actor
In the same podcast, Scarlett Johansson recalled feeling her worth as an actress reduced to being an object of desire rather than recognized for her talent and range. At times, the situation became so disheartening that she questioned whether people perceived her as being much older, hindering her prospects in the industry. One notable example Scarlett mentioned was her role in the film Lost in Translation, where she portrayed a character five years her senior at the age of 17, alongside Bill Murray. This experience exemplified her struggle against the limitations imposed on her due to age and preconceived notions, as she aimed to break free from being confined to specific roles.
Per Entertainment Tonight, the Black Widow star shared, “Because I think everybody thought I was older and that I’d been [acting] for a long time, I got kind of pigeonholed into this weird hypersexualized thing. I felt like [my career] was over. It was like, ‘That’s the kind of career you have, these are the roles you’ve played.’ And I was like, ‘This is it?’ The runway is not long on that. So it was scary at that time. In a weird way, I was like, ‘Is this it?’ I attributed a lot of that to the fact that people thought I was much, much older than I was.”
How Scarlett Johansonn’s escaped from Hollywood Controversies
In a recent interview with Variety, Scarlett opened up on how important of a role her mother played to safeguard her from Hollywood’s notoriety, especially those which are seldom faced by child actors. “You need your parents to set boundaries and hold you accountable and keep you away from, like, weird people,” she says as though the answer is obvious. “I was really fortunate that I had that,” the actor said. “It’s not just free rein to go wherever the wind blows. Is that the right saying, ‘Which way the wind blows’? ‘The way the wind blows’? I don’t know,” added Scarlett.
As a teenager, Scarlett recognized the importance of her career and worked diligently to pursue her passion. Coming from financial instability and having to shoulder adult responsibilities early on, she was determined not to let her circumstances hinder her success. She dedicated herself to auditions and booking jobs, understanding the need to stay in control of her life.
For example, she sued Disney to hold power accountable and she came out victorious. She became the third female actor after Olivia de Havilland and Elizabeth Taylor, and the only female actor in the streaming era to lock horns with a production giant like Disney. Eventually, the case was settled with Scarlett bagging a payout of $40 million.
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How Did Scarlett Johansson’s Parents Influence Her
Growing up, Scarlett had to navigate the delicate balance between her film career and education. Her mother insisted on scheduling her film work during summers to prioritize her classes. However, her life was far from stable, as her parents divorced when she was 13, and she primarily lived with her father in New York while her mother moved to California. Reflecting on her journey, Johansson shared, “I put a lot of hard work into my career. I wasn’t going to mess this up, especially because I came from a lot of instability financially.
I had to be a grown-up from very early on, and I was in a very grown-up situation early. My reaction was, ‘How do I stay in control of this aspect of my life?'”
Johansson’s resilience and maturity enabled her to overcome challenges and carve a path of stability and success in the face of personal turmoil. By prioritizing her career and maintaining control over her artistic journey, she not only achieved her goals but also became an inspiration to others.
Source: Variety
