Two decades of Scarlett Johansson’s sexy image
Famous for being sexy since the age of 17, the “Black Widow” beauty recently wanted to abandon her fiery image to pursue more psychological roles.
Scarlett Johansson was born in 1984, had artistic talent from a young age, and first acted at the age of eight in the play Sophistry with actor Ethan Hawke. In 1996, she received her first leading role in the film Manny & Lo. In 2001, the beauty had her breakthrough with the black comedy Ghost World. At this time, the 17-year-old actor’s sweet appearance attracted attention in Hollywood.
Lost in Translation (2003) is remembered by many when looking for an example of Johansson’s youthful vitality. When filming this movie, she was 18 years old so she could play many sexy scenes. Many segments highlight Johansson’s beauty, such as shots depicting her lying on a bed, or sitting in a chair, wearing short pants. The character is a student who has just graduated from college and meets an old actor (Bill Murray) in Tokyo (Japan). Lost in Translation is also a film that marks the star’s transition from teenage to adult roles.
The Island (2005) is expected to make Scarlett Johansson an action star, following the path of her sister Angelina Jolie. She showed off her body with tight outfits and performed many fight scenes in Michael Bay’s movies. True to this director’s style, the film is filled with chase scenes and explosions. However, it was not popular with the audience and lost money. Scarlett has to wait another 5 years to shine in an action role.
In the 2000s, Scarlett Johansson was associated with sexy roles, often with hot scenes, such as in Match Point (2005), Scoop (2006) or The Black Dahlia (2006). In the dramatic crime film The Black Dahlia (pictured), she had passionate sex with actor Josh Hartnett.
Director Christopher Nolan chose Scarlett Johansson for the role of a hot assistant in The Prestige (2006). He said he was very excited for the actress to participate in this project.
Off-screen, Scarlett Johansson also built a fiery image with a series of bust-enhancing dresses at many events. At the 2006 Golden Globe Awards, she was like a “magnet” in a red outfit. Bustle magazine called this the dress that “defined 2006”.
In 2010, Scarlett Johansson began the most famous role of her career – Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series was still in its opening stages at that time, so the presence of a famous female star caused a lot of excitement. Johansson’s character is a versatile female spy, good at both fighting and underground operations. She impersonates a seductive female secretary to monitor billionaire Tony Stark.
Black Widow reappeared in the superhero blockbuster The Avengers (2012) as a founding member of the team. The character continues to impress thanks to his cunning and bravery in battle. The scene where Black Widow escapes at the beginning of the movie is considered one of Marvel’s hottest action scenes.
Along with filming blockbusters, Johansson does not forget about art film projects. In the science fiction film Under the Skin (2013), she transformed into an alien and had a nude scene that caused controversy.
In the same year 2013, Scarlett Johansson starred in the comedy film Don Jon. Although she was not the main character, she attracted attention thanks to her beauty and many long affectionate scenes with actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Scarlett Johansson does not use social networks to keep her private life private. But that doesn’t make her reputation any less in European and American media, especially when the star regularly enters beauty rankings. Esquire twice chose her as the Sexiest Woman in the World (in 2006 and 2013).
In the 2010s, Scarlett Johansson began to want to give up her sexy image. On Evening Standard in 2012, she said she lost roles many times due to being too attractive, like in the movie The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. At the audition, director David Fincher was satisfied with Johansson but wanted to choose a less sexy actress. Her (2013) is a special project, when Johansson did not appear in front of the camera but only acted by voice as an artificial intelligence.
In 2019, Scarlett Johansson proved her ability with the psychological film Marriage Story (pictured). She and Adam Driver became a couple so incompatible that they were about to divorce. Johansson’s appearance in the film does not emphasize sexiness as usual. Instead, she made her mark with fiercely controversial dialogues, earning her first female lead Oscar nomination. The same year, she also received an Oscar nomination for supporting actress for her role as a mother in the comedy Jojo Rabbit.
Black Widow marks the first time the female spy has her own movie, after many times playing supporting roles in the Marvel universe. According to Strait Times, in recent projects, Johansson has asked Marvel to reduce the exploitation of the heat from Black Widow. In the latest film, as a production director, she has more say in building the character’s image. Audiences can see that Widow is not only a sexy spy good at fighting, but also brings a lot of pain and confidences about her family.
After parting ways with Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson participated in the psychological film Bride directed by Sebastián Lelio. She incarnates a woman created for the role of an ideal wife but determined to resist that predetermined path. This work will continue Johansson’s direction of participating in films that require more acting than a sexy image. At the age of 37, the actress seems to have many new goals in her career.
