Scarlett Johansson, 41, Reflects on the Harsh Treatment Women Faced in the Early 2000s

Scarlett Johansson recently reflected on the challenging environment for female performers at the start of the millennium. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning on April 12, the Academy Award nominee described the intense scrutiny directed toward women’s physical appearances during that era.

She noted that the early 2000s were characterized by a socially acceptable tendency to pick apart how women looked, creating a pressurized atmosphere for those in the public eye. The actress shared that the landscape for someone her age at the time was significantly more restrictive than the opportunities available to young actors today.

“Growing up in the entertainment industry and then being a 20-year-old woman in the early 2000s, in the spotlight, I think in general, it was a really harsh time,” Johansson explained. She pointed out that the range of roles offered to her was far more limited, often leaning into repetitive archetypes rather than character depth.

During the conversation, Johansson touched on how she was frequently relegated to “bombshell” or secondary characters during her younger years. To escape these patterns and broaden her artistic range, she turned to the New York theater scene to challenge herself.

“It was kind of tricky to navigate around that because there was a lot more that I wanted to do, and I found that doing theater in New York was a great way to work different muscles,” she recalled.

Johansson’s visit to the show also served to highlight the growth of her skincare brand, The Outset, which she introduced in 2022 to address the needs of sensitive skin. Away from her business ventures, the performer has been spotted in Manhattan filming scenes for the highly anticipated project The Exorcist.

This new installment, helmed by horror director Mike Flanagan, features Johansson in a leading role alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sasha Calle. The film is currently described as a fresh, standalone narrative within the established universe and is aiming for a release in March 2027.

In addition to this psychological thriller, Johansson is involved in a Tower of Terror movie and recently made her directorial debut with the film Eleanor the Great. Her slate remains incredibly full.

As she moves into this next chapter of her career, she remains a prominent advocate for more diverse and substantial roles for women across all stages of their lives in the industry.

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