'I became objectified, pigeonholed': Scarlett Johansson on hypersexualization in Hollywood

Scarlett Johansson recently opened up about being 'hypersexualised' by the industry at a very young age, fearing that her career would end because of a lack of diverse roles. The Black Widow star, who began her stint in the industry at the age of 9, revealed she was highly 'objectified and 'pigeonholed' as a young actor, feeling that she was not getting a chance to work on the roles she wanted to. Scarlett also discussed the changing dynamics in today's time, where actors like  Zendaya, Florence Pugh and more are getting opportunities to do various things. 

Scarlett Johansson feared her career would end early due to being 'hypersexualized'

In a recent episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, Johansson mentioned, "I kind of became objectified and pigeonholed in this way where I felt like I wasn’t getting offers for work for things that I wanted to do." She continued, "I remember thinking to myself, ‘I think people think I’m 40 years old.’ It somehow stopped being something that was desirable and something that I was fighting against.”

As per Variety, the Avengers star mentioned that she thought everyone perceived her to be older, and she got labelled as a 'weird hypersexualized' thing. "I felt like [my career] was over. It was like: that’s the kind of career you have; these are the roles you’ve played. And I was like, ‘This is it?'," Johansson recalled. 

Scarlett Johansson on changing dynamics in the industry 

Johansson also noted how young stars are no longer so easily forced into being pigeonholed, trying a variety of roles. "I see younger actors that are in their 20s, it feels like they’re allowed to be all these different things. It’s another time, too. We’re not even allowed to really pigeonhole other actors anymore, thankfully, right? People are much more dynamic," the actor stated. 

On the work front, she was last seen in Marvel’s 2021 release Black Widow. Johansson will now be starring in Wes Anderson's Asteroid City. She also has My Mother’s Wedding alongside Sienna Miller and Emily Beecham in the pipeline. 

(IMAGE: AP)