Scarlett Johansson Discusses Effects of Fame Post Lost in Translation

LOS ANGELES, California — Scarlett Johansson opened up about her early career challenges in a recent interview with Vanity Fair. The actress discussed how her breakthrough role in Sofia Coppola‘s 2003 film, Lost in Translation, led to her being typecast as a ‘sex object’ in Hollywood.

Johansson, who was just 17 when she co-starred with Bill Murray, noted that for years after the film’s success, she was only offered stereotypical roles such as ‘the girlfriend’ and ‘the other woman.’ ‘I couldn’t get out of the cycle,’ she explained. ‘It sort of felt like, “Oh, I guess this is my identity now as an actor.”’

She revealed that her representatives at the time did not encourage her to pursue different types of roles. ‘They were reacting to the norm. The industry worked like that forever,’ Johansson said.

Reflecting on her personal growth, Johansson expressed the challenges of balancing her evolving identity with the industry’s expectations. ‘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. But yeah, it was a kind of an exploitation.’

During their time filming Lost in Translation, Johansson described Murray as ‘in a hard place,’ though she chose not to share specific details. She claimed that the on-set environment was tense due to Murray’s struggles at the time.

More recently, Johansson encountered Murray backstage at an event where she noticed a change in him. ‘He’s such a different person now. I think life has humbled him,’ she remarked, referencing past controversies surrounding Murray, including behavior on the set of the 2022 film Being Mortal.

Johansson acknowledged the gravity of Murray’s actions but also recognized the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Life—all these things have led up to him being held accountable for that kind of behavior. But you know what? How wonderful that people can change.’

In conclusion, Johansson expressed pride in how she managed herself during the filming of Lost in Translation, stating, ‘I really just did the work. It’s a good tactic for pushing through stuff. Eyes on the prize.’