Billy Eichner won the Oscars with a scorching read of Scarlett Johansson
Billy Eichner and Scarlett Johansson at the Oscars. (Getty)
Scarlett Johansson lost out at the Oscars in more ways that one, with Billy Eichner reading her for absolute filth in just five words.
Johansson was nominated for both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress Oscars for her work in Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit, making her one of just a dozen actors to have landed two acting nods in the same year.
Despite her increased odds, Johansson walked away empty-handed, losing out to Renee Zellweger (Best Actress, for Judy) and her Marriage Story co-star Laura Dern (Best Supporting Actress).
Billy Eichner rubbed further salt in the wound on Twitter, where he shared a photo of reality star Blac Chyna with the caption: “Loved her in Marriage Story.”
Loved her in Marriage Story. https://t.co/MLnKQPHVqr
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) February 9, 2020
Eichner was of course referring to Johansson’s much-derided claim that she should be “able to play any person, tree or animal” as a cis white woman.
Scarlett Johansson thinks she can play any role.
Johansson spoke out after she was criticised for taking on the role of a trans man in Rub & Tug.
Initially Johansson had dismissed the criticism, pointing to other cis actors who had played trans roles such as Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto and Felicity Huffman.
She eventually quit the film, explaining: “Our cultural understanding of transgender people continues to advance, and I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realise it was insensitive.”
Johansson, who was also criticised for “white-washing” the lead role of Ghost in the Shell, later claimed that the “tree” quote had been taken out of context “for click bait”.
“The question I was answering… was about the confrontation between political correctness and art,” she told EW.
She added that her personal view was that art “should be immune to political correctness” and that “in an ideal world any actor should be able to play anybody”.
“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 added.
“I continue to support, and always have, diversity in every industry and will continue to fight for projects where everyone is included.”
