The one actor Scarlett Johansson hates being compared to: “I don’t see it”
One of the keys to success is having a distinctive look, and if an actor falls into a certain archetype, like a blonde bombshell or a tough guy, this can often secure them some guaranteed attention in Hollywood.
Looks shouldn’t have to play such a big part in capturing people’s attention, but Hollywood is a shallow industry based on appearances, and that’s the way it always has been. The more attractive a star, the more likely they are to turn heads, and unsurprisingly, some actors use this to their advantage.
Alongside looks, it’s also the energy you put out, the way you carry yourself, and how you dress, which can affect people’s opinions of you, and Scarlett Johansson has certainly learned this over her years of being one of the industry’s most popular stars. Having started out as a kid, she took on mature roles before she was hardly an adult, with her unforgettable performance in Lost in Translation opposite Bill Murray coming in when she was just 17, and thus, it didn’t take long before she was racking up roles in further movies that seemed beyond her years.
Her first collaboration with Woody Allen, Match Point, happened when she was just 19, and soon he had invited her back for several other movies, including Scoop and Vicky, Christina, Barcelona, wherein it didn’t take long for people to wonder if Johansson was Allen’s new muse; move over Diane Keaton.
It seems like the controversial director certainly found himself attracted to the energy Johansson could bring to a film, going as far as to compare her to the most iconic Hollywood starlet of all, Marilyn Monroe, the ultimate sex symbol and bombshell of Old Hollywood (although by no means the first), who defined an era, and her looks have become an undeniable part of her allure. You can recognise her from her blonde hair, beauty spot, and sultry eyes, such that even a white dress trailing in the wind can be enough to evoke thoughts of Marilyn.
Regardless, the actor doesn’t think that this comparison is exactly accurate. Although if you’re getting compared to someone as adored as Monroe, you shouldn’t complain, it must get annoying to hear comparisons to other actors when you’re trying to carve out your own path, especially when it’s someone so monolithic.
In response to Allen’s comparison, Johansson told USA Today, “Maybe he’s just blinded by my shock of platinum hair, or maybe it’s my body type. Honestly, I’ve never really understood [the comparison]. I absolutely love Marilyn Monroe, but I don’t see it.”
You can certainly see her playing the figure in a biopic, with images of the star with short blonde hair unmistakably bringing the icon to mind, however unnecessary that might be, as I don’t think we need another Monroe movie anytime soon, especially not after the disaster that was Andrew Dominik’s Blonde, which saw Ana de Armas play her.
And perhaps it would be for the best for the actor to steer clear of playing Monroe, because that wouldn’t exactly help the comparisons, not to mention the typecasting.
