Scarlett Johansson believes there should be more on-screen representation in films.
After suing Disney+ due to an apparent breach of her contract for Black Widow, the 36-year-old actress spoke to As If magazine, via The Washington Post, and suggested that the political correctness that executives try to maintain has actually done a disservice to her craft.
“You know, as an actor I should be allowed to play any person, or any tree, or any animal because that is my job and the requirements of my job,” Johansson said.
Scarlett Johansson Suggested People Should Be Allowed To Think For Themselves
“I feel like it’s a trend in my business and it needs to happen for various social reasons, yet there are times it does get uncomfortable when it affects the art because I feel art should be free of restrictions,” Johansson continued.
According to Johansson, she believes society would be more connected if people simply allowed one another to embrace their own feelings instead of expecting everyone to think exactly the same.
While Johansson seemed to be onto something with her comments, social media users reacted badly to the interview.
Scarlett Johansson Was Called Out By A Transgender Woman
One particular social media user, Charlotte Clymer, a transgender woman who works as a press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, suggested that Johansson’s statement about being allowed to play anyone and any thing would take away from the opportunities trans people had to act in films.
"Scarlett Johansson is a cisgender white woman with a powerful platform and no storage of work opportunities. Trans people should play trans people. Period. It is incredibly disappointing that she has learned nothing and clearly does not care about the experiences of trans people,” she tweeted. “I will not be seeing any films that involve Scarlett Johansson moving forward. I do not want to give my money to someone who trivializes the oppression of trans people and diminishes the importance of our visibility.”
Scarlett Johansson Reacts To Backlash With ‘Clickbait’ Claims
In response to the backlash, including Clymer’s statements, Johansson backtracked on some of her comments, telling The Washington Post in a statement, via her publicist, that her words were “edited for clickbait” and “widely taken out of context.”
“The question I was answering in my conversation with the contemporary artist, David Salle, was about the confrontation between political correctness and art. I personally feel that, in an ideal world, any actor should be able to play anybody and Art, in all forms, should be immune to political correctness," she clarified.
Scarlett Johansson Acknowledged Her Privilege
"That is the point I was making, albeit didn’t come across that way,” Johansson continuedd. “I recognize that in reality, there is a wide spread discrepancy among my industry that favors Caucasian, cis gendered actors and that not every actor has been given the same opportunities that I have been privileged to."
"I continue to support, and always have, diversity in every industry and will continue to fight for projects where everyone is included,” Johansson added, confirming she is supportive of the LGBTQ community.
