Scarlett Johansson says she was ‘groomed’ into being a ‘bombshell-type actor’
She said she was being groomed as an object of desire as a teen
Scarlett Johansson has been one of the queens of the silver screen for years now. But the American actor has been opening up about what it was like for her at the very start of her career.
Johansson, best known for her iconic role as Natasha Romanoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has claimed that she was manipulated to take on certain roles when she was younger.
First hitting the screens playing roles like Rebecca in Ghost World or Nola in Match Point - it's clear that Johansson's career trajectory has changed quite a bit.
During iHeartRadio's Table for Two podcast with Bruce Bozzi, the Black Widow star disclosed: "I kind of became, like, an ingénue."
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The 38-year-old continued: "Young girls like that are really objectified, and that's just a fact, so I think whatever box they're put into, it sort of sets you on this trajectory for how your life will go.
"Now, obviously women really are able more now to choose their own path."
Recounting her entrance into Hollywood and fame, Johansson delved into what it was like to be typecast in these 'bombshell' roles from such a young age and how she was only just beginning to explore her own individual 'desirability and sexuality'.
"I did Lost in Translation and Girl With the Pearl Earring, and by that point, I was 18, 19, and I was coming into my own womanhood and learning my own desirability and sexuality," she explained.
"I was kind of being groomed in a way to be this, what you call this 'bombshell' type of actor.
"I was playing the other woman and this object of desire and, you know, I suddenly found myself cornered in this place, like, I couldn't get out of it."
She continued: "I think that kind of bombshell [role] burns bright and quick.
"Then you don't have much opportunity beyond that, and I just felt like I was burning out so quickly."
The Jojo Rabbit actor also opened up about how having children has since shaped the way she views her career, explaining that a person should choose work that is 'satisfying' over anything else.
She said: "I think that's an important lesson to teach girls and boys - to pursue work that is satisfying."
And with an impressive arsenal of awards and accolades, it's clear that Johansson has done exactly that.
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, Scarlett Johansson, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rhiannon Ingle