Scarlett Johansson Shares the Personal Struggle She Deals With Constantly

Scarlett Johansson first captured the public’s attention as a young performer in films like The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World, but it was her luminous work in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation that truly solidified her as a powerhouse in the industry.

Since that breakout moment, she has curated a filmography that spans from introspective dramas like Marriage Story and Her to high-concept science fiction like Under the Skin. Throughout her career, she has consistently been recognized for her ability to bring a grounded, human complexity to every character she inhabits.

Despite her immense success, Johansson has been candid about the internal pressures that come with being a globally recognized talent. During a conversation with Charlie Rose, she pushed back against the idea that she had somehow mastered her craft.

She admitted that she doesn’t think of herself as being so good, instead noting that she often finds herself looking back at her previous work with a critical and questioning eye. The actress joked about her tendency to be a self-deprecating woe-is-me actor, but she quickly turned serious when discussing the creative process.

She revealed that she constantly struggles with her own performances, often watching scenes and wondering why she made a specific acting choice or why a particular take was selected for the final cut. For Johansson, the act of self-critique is an essential, if exhausting, part of her professional growth.

She also pointed out that success brings a unique and scary type of burden. As an actor’s profile grows and their films find more success, there is an ever-increasing expectation to keep being fantastic in every subsequent project.

She contrasted this with the early days of a career, where a performer is driven by a raw desire to be noticed and doesn’t yet have the weight of an established reputation to maintain. Johansson has been open about the risk of developing a certain jaded quality after years of recognition in the industry.

She admitted to a constant battle to stay present and avoid the tunnel vision that can set in as an actor works more frequently. She noted that she is constantly learning from every experience, both on and off the set, striving to step outside of her own perspective to maintain a fresh and honest approach to her work.

As of this year, Johansson is balancing a massive slate of acting and directing projects that show her commitment to that lifelong learning process. She recently headlined as the lead of the highly anticipated Jurassic World Rebirth.

In the film, she stars alongside Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali as a covert operations expert leading a high-stakes mission to secure genetic material from the world’s largest dinosaurs.

In addition to her blockbuster roles, Johansson is also making her mark behind the camera with her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great. The film, which stars Academy Award nominee June Squibb and Chiwetel Ejiofor, follows a 90-year-old woman attempting to rebuild her life in New York City after the death of her best friend.

The project is currently making the rounds at international film festivals, earning praise for Johansson’s sensitive and assured direction. On the small screen, she is set to star in and executive produce the limited series Just Cause for Prime Video, based on the novel by John Katzenbach.

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