Scarlett Johansson has experienced a rare moment of triumph in the past year, despite the challenges even the most talented actors face in achieving film success. Her role in Avengers: Endgame, the highest-grossing movie ever made, and her upcoming standalone movie Black Widow have been significant accomplishments. Johansson’s performances in Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit have been highly praised, with some considering her a contender for best actress. Despite her success, Johansson remains cautious and acknowledges the hard work she put into reaching this point. She admits to being someone who always waits for the other shoe to drop but is making an effort to change that mindset.
Scarlett Johansson, a 35-year-old actress, has been a part of the entertainment industry for almost 25 years. At the tender age of 9, she made her debut in the movie North, following which she starred in The Horse Whisperer when she was 13. Her big break came at the age of 18 with her role in Lost in Translation. Though she has had a fruitful career, Johansson admits that there have been ups and downs. She has gone through phases where work hasn’t been easy, and opportunities for challenging roles have been hard to come by. Keep yourself abreast with the latest happenings in Hollywood’s film, TV, and entertainment world by subscribing to our newsletter, which includes a special Awards Insider edition every Friday.
In recent times, the topic of prioritizing things has become less bothersome to her. She believes that being a mother to her daughter Rose, who is now five years old, has influenced this change in outlook. Although she is still ambitious in her career pursuits, she acknowledges that her objectives have evolved from aiming for a specific level of prominence or recognition. Instead, she is satisfied with waiting for openings that harmonize with her personal goals and principles. This fresh phase of her professional journey permits her to place importance on what genuinely holds significance to her.
Johansson gushes about her love for Jojo Rabbit, saying that as soon as she read Taika Waititi’s script, she knew it was a work of genius. She thinks the script is well-crafted, unpredictable, and unique, making it a treasure in her eyes. Being an experienced actress who’s read many scripts, Johansson can tell when something is exceptional. She believed in Waititi’s talent and trusted him to create a fantastic film adaptation of the story.
Johansson effortlessly assumed the character of Rosie in the movie, which focuses on a mother who has to navigate her son’s intense Nazi beliefs and her own moral code. The role of Rosie deeply resonated with Johansson, and she envisioned her as a warm and comforting figure that viewers would miss if she were absent. The actress fell in love with the character and felt an urge to bring her to life on screen. This role followed her captivating performance in the movie Marriage Story, which almost never came to fruition years earlier. When director Noah Baumbach approached her to star in a film about divorce, Johansson could draw on her own personal experience with the topic.
Johansson doesn’t want to make too big of a deal about how her personal life influenced her performance as a character going through a divorce. She admits that her own experiences were helpful, but she’s aware that they weren’t an exact match. Because she’s been through some of the same emotions as her character, she was able to relate to her on some level. But instead of drawing solely on her own divorce, Johansson drew from memories of her parents’ own divorce to inform her performance.
Even though Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver were highly praised for their believable depiction of a struggling marriage in the film, the actress wants to clarify that there was no improvisation involved. Every single pause, incomplete sentence, and dialogue exchange was meticulously scripted. Johansson acknowledges that the writing was so impeccable that improvising or ad-libbing was unnecessary. The director, Noah Baumbach, was very particular about every aspect of the screenplay, eliminating any possibility of hesitation or doubt in its delivery.
