Scarlett Johansson says trans role comments were ‘edited for clickbait’
Scarlett Johansson after being cast as a transgender man in Rub & Tug (Jamie McCarthy/Getty)
Scarlett Johansson, who quit her role as a transgender man in Rub & Tug last year, has responded to criticism of her recent comments about being allowed to “play any role” by saying that they were “edited for clickbait.”
The Avengers: Endgame actor waded back into the debate over cisgender actors playing trans roles in an interview with As If magazine on July 11.
“You know, as an actor I should be allowed to play any person, or any tree, or any animal because that is my job and the requirements of my job,” Johansson said.
The actress received criticism for her comments, but now says that they were “edited for clickbait.”
“An interview that was recently published has been edited for click bait and is widely taken out of context,” the actress said in a statement to Variety. “The question I was answering in my conversation with the contemporary artist, David Salle, was about the confrontation between political correctness and art.”
Scarlett Johansson accepted then withdrew from the role of real-life trans man Dante ‘Tex’ Gill in Rub & Tug (VALERIE MACON/Getty)
She clarified her stance, saying, “I personally feel that, in an ideal world, any actor should be able to play anybody and Art, in all forms, should be immune to political correctness. That is the point I was making, albeit didn’t come across that way.”
“I recognise that in reality, there is a wide spread discrepancy amongst my industry that favours Caucasian, cis gendered actors and that not every actor has been given the same opportunities that I have been privileged to,” she said.
“I continue to support, and always have, diversity in every industry and will continue to fight for projects where everyone is included.”
In the published interview with As If magazine, when asked whether she should only represent her gender and ethnicity, or whether she can play roles that are “beyond these categories,” Johansson said, “There are a lot of social lines being drawn now, and a lot of political correctness is being reflected in art.”
PinkNews has reached out to As If magazine for comment but hadn’t received a reponse by time of publication.
