Scarlett Johansson Recalls “A Lot” Of Female Roles Centering “Male Gaze” Early In Her Career
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key TakeawaysFrom her child actor beginnings to her MCU days and beyond, Scarlett Johansson has noticed a shift in Hollywood for women.
The 2x Oscar nominee recently explained that some of the onscreen opportunities she’s seen in recent years have represented “a different time for young women” in the industry, moving away from roles that center the male gaze.
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AdvertisementAdvertisement#«Rmekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R16ekkr8lb2m7nfblbH1» iframe“The messaging is different — there are many more role models, women are visible in powerful positions and the opportunities I have had to play women who don’t have to just be one thing or another have increased,” she told The Times.
“But when I was younger, a lot of the roles I was offered, or I went for, had their ambitions or character arcs revolving around their own desirability, or the male gaze, or a male-centred story,” added Johansson. “That is less frequent, though — something has shifted.”
Johansson made her film debut at age 9 in North (1994), having since starred in such films as The Horse Whisperer (1998), Ghost World (2001), Lost in Translation (2003) and her decade-long run in the MCU that culminated with her solo outing in 2021’s Black Widow.
The actress can currently be seen in Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, now in theaters, as well as Jurassic World Rebirth, premiering July 2. She also made her feature directorial debut with Eleanor the Great, which had its world premiere last month at Cannes.
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