Scarlett Johansson has addressed the backlash to comments she made about casting by clarifying that they were “taken out of context”.
In a statement released yesterday (July 14) the Avengers: Endgame actress said that her interview with As If magazine was “edited for click bait” with regards to her defending her right “to play any person, or any tree, or any animal”. The interview followed last year’s controversy about her casting as a transgender man in Rub & Tug, a film that she eventually bailed on.
“An interview that was recently published has been edited for click bait and is widely taken out of context,” she said in a statement to Variety. “The question I was answering in my conversation with the contemporary artist, David Salle, was about the confrontation between political correctness and art.
“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.”
Additionally, Johansson said that she is aware that “not every actor has been given the same opportunities” that she has been “privileged” to be able to pursue an illustrious career.
“I continue to support, and always have, diversity in every industry and will continue to fight for projects where everyone is included,” she added.
Other examples of criticisms of Johansson’s casting include in 2017 when she played the role of Major Motoko Kusanagi in the live-action adaptation of Japanese manga Ghost in the Shell despite the role being written for someone of Asian descent.
Some critics said her casting was “whitewashing” and the controversy arguably hindered the film’s box office earnings.