Scarlett Johansson’s (41) ‘Asteroid City’ Nude Scene Came With an Unexpectedly Awkward Moment

Wes Anderson is known for his meticulous control over every frame, from symmetrical compositions to pastel color palettes. His films have largely steered clear of nudity, with his 2023 film ‘Asteroid City’ marking a rare exception alongside his earlier short ‘Hotel Chevalier’ with Natalie Portman.

Set in a fantasy version of 1950s America, ‘Asteroid City’ cast Scarlett Johansson in a dual role as a troupe member in the film’s New York sequences and as movie star Midge Campbell in the world of the story. It was her first live-action collaboration with Anderson after previously lending her voice to his stop-motion film ‘Isle of Dogs’.

Now a story about one of the film’s most talked-about scenes is resurfacing, with outlets revisiting how Johansson described Anderson’s reaction to her brief nude scene. As it turns out, the famously exacting director was far less confident behind the camera for that moment.

“Wes is probably the worst person to talk to about anything like that. He’s so uncomfortable around that topic,” Johansson told Yahoo Entertainment, laughing as she recalled the shoot.

When asked how Anderson directed the scene, she joked that she would leave it up to the imagination. “There was a lot of throat clearing and [Wes] sort of hiding his face,” she added.

Johansson indicated that she didn’t feel uncomfortable filming the moment herself. The challenge, it seems, was simply getting specific notes from a director who could barely bring himself to discuss it.

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The scene isn’t gratuitous within the film. In the story, Midge casually mentions to Jason Schwartzman’s Augie Steenbeck that she has a nude scene in her performance repertoire, tying the moment into the movie’s larger commentary on role-playing and artistic collaboration. Nude scenes remain rare in Johansson’s career. She previously appeared nude in the 2013 sci-fi film ‘Under the Skin’, in which she played an alien.

The actress has said she weighs whether such a scene is gratuitous or an important part of a character’s journey. She has also described those scenes as challenging but interesting, noting that they made her aware of the judgments people place on themselves.

For Midge, Johansson looked to Hollywood’s Golden Age. She modeled the role after Bette Davis, and while she acknowledged being a big Judy Garland fan, she said she didn’t think Midge shared Garland’s fragility.

The film is packed with era-specific references, from Chuck Jones’s classic Road Runner shorts to ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’, giving the performances a distinctly vintage feel. The moment also drew attention internationally. In India, the country’s film certification board removed Johansson’s nude shot, which lasted around 3 seconds, as part of a list of cuts to the film.

Part of why the story keeps resurfacing is the delightful contrast it paints. Anderson’s precise, controlled filmmaking style makes the image of him clearing his throat and hiding his face all the more amusing.

Johansson, meanwhile, continues to take on bold projects. She next stars as NYPD detective Julie Miller in Mike Flanagan’s ‘The Exorcist: Martyrs’, which opens in theaters on March 12, 2027.

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