Scarlett Johansson has revealed that, despite appearances, she’s faced constant rejection in her life and been made to feel like a ‘second choice’.
In a new interview with Parade, the 35-year-old opened up about her life in Hollywood, which began when she was a teenager, acting in films such as North and The Horse Whisperer.
However, despite gaining critical acclaim over the years including an Oscar nomination for Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story earlier this year and a leading Marvel role as Black Widow, the actress admitted: ‘Since a very young age, I’ve been rejected constantly.’
Johansson – who is currently engaged to Saturday Night Live star Colin Jost – discussed nabbing the role of Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) after it was originally given to Emily Blunt in 2010 for the film Iron Man 2. The British star is believed to have now left the project due to scheduling conflicts.
Opening up about her ‘wonderful’ meeting with the film’s director Jon Favreau at the time, Johansson recalled: ‘I was really excited to work with him, so I said, “If this doesn’t work out, I’m an actor for hire, so call me anytime.”’
Reflecting on the initial rejection, she continued, adding: ‘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.’
Johansson stars in Black Widow opposite Stranger Things’ David Harbour and Florence Pugh. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the film’s release date has been pushed back from its original May 1 scheduling.
‘It’s a film very much about self-forgiveness and accepting decisions that were made for you,’ Johansson said.
‘It’s much deeper than anything we could have done earlier.’
Johansson’s statement comes months after she spoke honestly about her marriage to Ryan Reynolds from 2008 to 2011.
While the star didn’t mention the actor by name, she said of her relationship to Vanity Fair: ‘I mean, the first time I got married I was 23 years old. I didn’t really have an understanding of marriage.
'Maybe I kind of romanticised it, I think, in a way.'
The couple announced their separation in 2010 and Johansson went on to marry French journalist Romain Dauriac in 2014 before they split in 2017. The couple co-parent their five-year-old daughter.
Meanwhile, Reynolds married actress Blake Lively in 2012 with whom he is a parent to three daughters.
Actor Hugh Jackman recently spoke of Reynolds and Johansson’s relationship, admitting that while he struggles to remember why he and the Canadian star began their hilarious feud, he knows it has something to do with Johansson.
'It's gone back so long now… God, this is a classic sign where your feud has gone too long, where you don't even know why or how it started!' Jackman told the Daily Beast earlier this year.
'I met him back on Wolverine, and I used to ream him because I was very close friends with Scarlett.
'Scarlett had just married Ryan, so when he came on set I was like, "Hey, you better be on your best behaviour here, pal, because I'm watching," and we started ribbing each other that way.'
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