"I felt really frustrated and hopeless"- When Scarlett Johansson considered quitting acting after losing role to Sandra Bullock
It is impossible to think now that Scarlett Johansson, one of the most popular and acclaimed actresses of our generation, ever felt like she was at the end of her creative road and that perhaps the best way for her was to quit the industry for good. The actress has since given some of her most popular and most acclaimed performances but in 2011, the Black Widow star was going through a serious depressive period that had her reconsider her place in the industry.
In a 2023 interview with Variety, the actress opened up about the time she nearly gave up hope after she lost two crucial roles. She lost out to Emily Blunt for a role in Iron Man 2 and, more importantly, Sandra Bullock was picked over her in Alfonso Cuaron's acclaimed sci-fi Gravity. Speaking about this phase to Variety, Scarlett Johansson said:
"I got turned down for two roles — the first was ‘Iron Man 2’ and then the other one was Alfonso Cuarón’s ‘Gravity,...I had wanted that role so much. It was sort of the straw that broke the camel’s back. I felt really frustrated and hopeless. Like, ‘Am I doing the right job?’"
Mentioning the kind of unsatisfactory work she was getting, she added:
"The work I was being offered felt deeply unfulfilling. I think I was offered every Marilyn Monroe script ever. I was like, ‘Is this the end of the road creatively?’"
Then a change of fate for the actress worked wonders in bringing her back on the path of new creative directions and even gave her the chance of infinite stardom in the prime days of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe).
How did Scarlett Johansson get back on her feet?
After beginning at a very young age, Scarlett Johansson was typecast in a certain way that she wanted to break out from. By 2011, she was trying different things and none of it seemed to be working in her favor, which led to her feeling deeply unsatisfied, as she discussed with Variety.
However, things changed for her when Emily Blunt had to drop out of Iron Man 2 because of a contractual obligation with Fox. While Blunt went on to act in the forgettable Gulliver’s Travels, Johansson added one of the most popular characters in the world to her armory, forever changing her career path.
Scarlett Johansson said about this:
"That movie wasn’t going to move the needle forward in terms of how my character was written, but there was potential for what it could be — a potential for growth in subsequent films,"
While her appearance in Iron Man 2 was brief, her character went on to be a pivotal part of MCU's best days, and she also managed to grab multiple critically acclaimed roles after this.
She was first offered Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge, and she went on to perform multiple acclaimed roles in movies like Under the Skin, Marriage Story, and Her. It seemingly resurrected her career and her love for her job. Johnasson concluded:
"Suddenly it was like, ‘I still love this job.’ And it reignited my passion for the work. I felt less anxious."
As most know, Scarlett Johansson has never looked back since then and remains one of the biggest names in Hollywood today.
