Scarlett Johansson: “As much as Anthony Hopkins is a pussycat, he’s terrifying”
Scarlett Johansson has made some daring creative choices over the years, with thrilling performances in movies such as Under the Skin, Marriage Story and Lost in Translation, to name but a few.
In addition to her leading roles in the Marvel universe, the actor has built a distinctive career that combines commercial success with independent projects, seamlessly blending genres across a body of work that includes superhero blockbusters, romantic dramas, and psychological horrors. However, a standout moment in her career came in 2012 when she worked with Anthony Hopkins on a lesser-known film, describing it as one of the most terrifying on-screen experiences of her life.
Hitchcock, directed by Sacha Gervasi, follows the life of great director Alfred Hitchcock after the release of North by Northwest and the creation of Psycho, charting the strained production of the film and his relationship with his wife, Alma Reville.
Johansson plays Janet Leigh in the picture, re-enacting the iconic shower scene that has cemented Psycho as one of the most terrifying films of all time. However, perhaps even more terrifying for Johansson was that of acting alongside Anthony Hopkins, who plays Hitchcock in the film and was the one to stab her during the titular scene.
When describing the shoot, she said, “You have got to be brave, get into the shower, and face Anthony Hopkins as Hitchcock jabbing you in the face with a 12-inch kitchen knife. As much as Anthony Hopkins is a pussycat, he’s terrifying. Maybe I watched Silence of the Lambs too many times when I was a kid. Maybe I was having some flashbacks. So I didn’t need too much preparation for the scene.”
Hopkins made a name for himself as one of the greatest villains of all time after his performance in Silence of the Lambs, playing the sinister and disturbing Hannibal Lecter, who became known for eating his victims. Acting in such a high-stakes scene with an actor like Hopkins, known for his ability to morph into such dangerous characters, proved to be a rather intimidating experience for Johansson.
Despite the iconic status of the film, it initially divided audiences with its subject matter, following the warped relationship between Norman Bates and his mother. But despite this, the film was widely loved by audiences, with a huge turnout at the box office and multiple Academy Award nominations. Janet Leigh is now considered one of the ultimate scream queens, which is all the more fitting given that her daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis, went on to become the scream queen of her generation after starring in John Carpenter’s film Halloween.
While the task of reprising such an iconic role would rattle many actors, Johansson stepped into the character with ease, with a deft ability to adapt to the challenges of any shoot after starting out in the industry as a child. Since then, she has expanded her dramatic ability by working with directors like Jonathan Glazer, Noah Baumbach and Spike Jonze, showing an unwavering commitment to challenging herself and branching out into story worlds less-trodden and unfamiliar to her, which perhaps makes her the perfect actor to return to Hitchcock’s world.
