The “legend” who taught Scarlett Johansson a valuable lesson: “I’ve always done that”
In Hollywood, there’s no shortage of stars who let fame get to their heads. A few film roles and a chance to walk a red carpet, and suddenly, certain actors start to think they’re better than the average person, even if their only credits are a few minor roles. The bright lights of the industry can certainly blind many people to the concept of humility, but this will ultimately hold you back if you don’t at least pretend to be humble.
Scarlett Johansson learned from an early age the importance of not letting her work get the better of her. She began acting as a child, making her screen debut in the 1994 Rob Reiner movie North, and within ten years, she’d risen to become one of Hollywood’s most recognisable new stars, appearing in the likes of beloved titles like Ghost World and Lost in Translation before she’d even turned 18.
Since then, Johansson has balanced big-budget franchise movies with more artistically driven ones, allowing her to demonstrate her versatility. She played an alien woman in Jonathan Glazer’s mesmerising Under the Skin and one half of a couple at breaking point in Marriage Story, both of which have been standout performances. Yet, she is perhaps best known to the general public as Black Widow in a string of Marvel movies, which has made her the highest-grossing movie star of all time.
You might think that earning the title of being the most financially successful star in the world would get to Johansson’s head, but she has always remembered something she learned as a child, so that she stays grounded. When she was shooting her second ever film, Just Cause, she met a costume designer who has worked on some of the most iconic movies since the 1960s, with credits ranging from Midnight Cowboy to Working Girl and Mamma Mia!.
“I was nine, and the costume designer was a legend, Ann Roth,” she told The Times. “We were in the trailer, and she said, ‘Always hang up your costume at the end of a day.’ And so I’ve always done that. Because first, it shows respect for what other people on set do. But also it’s helpful because you are hanging up your work for the day, and then you can go back to your life.”
Johansson might have been young, but she quickly realised the importance of not letting work consume you. Respecting others and yourself is vital to maintaining a good reputation and a steady flow of work, which the prolific costume designer can attest to.
Roth has not only worked on countless hit movies, winning two Oscars over her career (for The English Patient and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), but she also played the old woman on the bench in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. The costume designer, who is now in her 90s, has had a very long and impressive career, and while Johansson evidently admires Roth’s skills, she will also never forget her vital advice, which she has carried with her over decades of success.
