Scarlett Johansson opens up about being typecast in "sex object" roles after Lost in Translation

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Scarlett Johansson reflected on the trajectory of her early career, noting that the widespread acclaim for Sofia Coppola's 2003 film, Lost in Translation, inadvertently led to her being typecast in stereotypical roles she described as "sex objects". Johansson, who was 17 when she starred opposite Bill Murray in the film, explained, "After Lost in Translation, every role that I was offered for years was ‘the girlfriend,’ ‘the other woman,’ a sex object — I couldn’t get out of the cycle. It sort of felt like, ‘Oh, I guess this is my identity now as an actor.’ There wasn’t much I could do with that."

She further commented her representatives back then did not actively work to steer her away from these roles, suggesting that "they were reacting to the norm. The industry worked like that forever."

Johansson also touched upon the complex relationship between embracing one's sexuality and the potential for objectification. "You come into your sexuality and your desirability as part of your growth, and it’s exciting to blossom into yourself," she stated. "You’re wearing the clothes you want, you’re expressing yourself, then you suddenly turn around and you’re like, ‘Wait, I feel like I’m being’ — I don’t want to say exploited because it’s such a severe word. That term is so heavy, but yeah, it was a kind of an exploitation."

Looking back at the production of Lost in Translation, featuring Murray as a waning film star finding an unlikely connection with Johansson's young college graduate in Tokyo, Johansson alluded to difficulties on set. While refraining from specific details, she mentioned that "Bill was in a hard place" during filming. "Everybody was on tenterhooks around him, including our director and the full crew, because he was dealing with his… stuff."

The Black Widow star noted that she had never previously encountered an actor in Murray's state of mind. She recounted a more recent encounter with him backstage at SNL50 earlier this year, where she observed a significant shift in his demeanour.

"He’s such a different person now. I think life has humbled him," Johansson remarked, confirming that her observation was partly influenced by the circumstances surrounding the abrupt halt of the 2022 film Being Mortal due to Murray's on-set behaviour. Murray had previously described the incident as giving a female colleague a kiss through a mask, which he intended as playful.

"Certainly, yes — that was really bad," acknowledged Johansson. "But I also know COVID was a hard thing for him. Life — all these things have led up to him being held accountable for that kind of behaviour. But you know what? How wonderful that people can change."

Reflecting on her overall experience during the making of Lost in Translation, Johansson concluded, "I’m pretty proud of how I handled myself. I really just did the work, you know? It’s a good tactic for pushing through stuff. Eyes on the prize."