Scarlett Johansson Says She’s “Basically Made A Career Out Of Being Second Choice”

Scarlett Johansson says she’s made a career out of being the second choice.

Johansson, 35, sat down for an interview with Parade and told the publication that she “basically made a career out of being second choice.”

Scarlett, who was listed as one of the top-earning Hollywood actresses last year, said she’s always been the next best thing in comparison to other actresses. “Since a very young age, I’ve been rejected constantly.” She continued: “The best call you can receive is after you are rejected for something, and then you get it. You appreciate it more. I’ve basically made a career out of being second choice.”

Scarlett’s role as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe catapulted her career. However, she wasn’t the first choice. Emily Blunt was offered the role first, but she dropped out because of scheduling issues. Scarlett also auditioned for the role of “Lisbeth Salander” in Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, but the role was given to Rooney Mara. The Hollywood Reporter reported that the director of the film, David Fincher, was too distracted by Johansson’s sex appeal that he decided to choose Mara instead. “Scarlett Johansson was great. It was a great audition, I’m telling you. But the thing with Scarlett is, you can’t wait for her to take her clothes off.”

While she has been the second choice on many occasions, Johansson also complained about the roles she’s had to turn down. She stepped away from her role in Rub And Tug after facing backlash from critics saying the role should be given to an actual transgender person. Back in 2019, Johansson addressed the criticism saying, “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.” She continued, “There are a lot of social lines being drawn now, and a lot of political correctness is being reflected in art.”

After receiving even more backlash for her tone-deaf comments, she took back her statements saying that now looking back at her words, she realizes that she “mishandled that situation.” “I was not sensitive, my initial reaction to it. I wasn’t totally aware of how the trans community felt about those three actors playing – and how they felt in general about cis actors playing – transgender people. I wasn’t aware of that conversation – I was uneducated.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Johansson’s next role, Black Widow, is set to be released on Nov. 6.