Scarlet Johansson: “I Should Be Allowed to Play Any Person”
In an interview with As If magazine Scarlet Johansson once again stepped into the debate of whether cisgender actors should be able to play trans roles.
“Today there’s a lot of emphasis and conversation about what acting is and who we want to see represent ourselves on screen,”the actress 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.”
Johansson stoked outrage last year when she accepted the role of a trans man in the movie Rub and Tug – a role she later stepped back from. She also controversially played a traditionally Japanese character in the movie Ghost in the Shell in 2017.
When asked whether she should only play characters that are both her race and gender she said: “There are a lot of social lines being drawn now, and a lot of political correctness is being reflected in art.
“Diversity is important in Hollywood, and I would never want to feel like I was playing a character that was offensive.”
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