“I Should Be Able to Play Any Person, Tree, or Animal,” Scarlett Johansson Says of Casting Controversies

“I Should Be Able to Play Any Person, Tree, or Animal,” Scarlett Johansson Says of Casting Controversies

Scarlett Johansson seemingly hit back at a string of casting controversies stemming from her recent ..

Scarlett Johansson seemingly hit back at a string of casting controversies stemming from her recent work, telling As If magazine in a new cover story “You know, as an actor I should be able to play any person, or any tree, or any animal, because that's my job and the requirements of my job.”

The actress did not reference any specific film or incident, but appeared to be responding to criticism of her casting in Rub & Tug, in which she was to play trans man, mobster and massage parlor owner Dante “Tex” Gill. Johannson initially dismissed those concerns, pointing toward transgender performances from cisgender actors Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman, but relinquished the role after backlash from the LGBTQ community. Johannson stated at the time, “Our cultural understanding of transgender people continues to advance, and Ive learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realize it was insensitive. I am thankful that this casting debate, albeit controversial, has sparked a larger conversation about diversity and representation in film.”

Speaking in the new interview, Johannson stated, “I feel like [political correctness is] 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. I think society would be more connected if we just allowed others to have their own feelings and not expect everyone to feel the way we do.”

Johansson also became the subject of controversy with her lead role in 2017s Ghost in the Shell, an adaptation of the Japanese manga series and 1995 animated film. Many accused the film of “whitewashing” its lead character by not casting an actor of Asian descent. The film otherwise became a widely-derided critical and commercial failure.

In light of the attention attracted by her comments, Johansson (through a representative) told Read More – Source

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