Between her role as a cyborg in manga adaptation Ghost in the Shell and her original plan to portray a transgender man in Rub & Tug, Scarlett Johansson isn’t exactly the spokesperson for representation onscreen.
All considered, her comments in a recent interview with As If magazine about “political correctness” in art did not fly under the radar.
Johansson said, “You know, as an actor I should be allowed to play any person, or any tree, or any animal because that is my job and the requirements of my job.”
When asked how she feels about the restrictions that come with fair representation, she said, “I feel like it’s a trend in my business and it needs to happen for various social reasons, yet there are times it does get uncomfortable when it affects the art because I feel art should be free of restrictions.”
Social media users had some ~thoughts~ about Johansson’s take:
Soon after the frenzy erupted online, Johansson clarified her statements, telling Entertainment Weekly that the interview was “edited for click bait and is widely taken out of context.”
“The question I was answering in my conversation with the contemporary artist, David Salle, was about the confrontation between political correctness and art,” she explained. “I personally feel that, in an ideal world, any actor should be able to play anybody and Art, in all forms, should be immune to political correctness. That is the point I was making, albeit didn’t come across that way. I recognize that in reality, there is a wide spread discrepancy amongst my industry that favors Caucasian, cis gendered actors and that not every actor has been given the same opportunities that I have been privileged to. I continue to support, and always have, diversity in every industry and will continue to fight for projects where everyone is included.”
Source: Read Full Article
