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Scarlett Johansson is one of the most accomplished and hot A-list Hollywood actresses. She has a filmography that will make anyone envious and she’s also globally recognized for being Black Widow in the MCU. One of the best projects in the star’s career wasMatch Point(2005) directed by Woody Allen. Even though Johansson wasn’t the first choice for the role, she quickly became a favorite muse of the director.
Johansson got the role when Kate Winslet left it to take care of her then-infant son, Joe. Allen was impressed with Johansson’s acting ability and vivacious presence. But he also made an eyebrow-raising s*xual remark towards her. Yet, when the director was hit with abuse allegations, she stood beside him.
The Scarlett Johansson And Woody Allen Equation
When Woody Allen andScarlett Johanssonwere working onMatch Point, the director was taken by the celeb’s natural movie star looks and intelligence. Later on, they even worked on another movie, Scoop (2006) that he wrote with Johansson in mind. In his memoir,Apropos of Nothing, the director said that he had to fight his pheromones in her presence. As per Allen:
“She was only 19 when she did Match Point but it was all there. An exciting actress, a natural movie star, real intelligence, quick and funny. And when you meet her you have to fight your way through pheromones.”
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That’s not all. In addition to being witty, he also found her to be“sexually overwhelming.”He said,“Not only was she gifted and beautiful, but sxually she was radioactive.”During an interview with NY Times, he said,“It’s very hard to be extra witty around a sxually overwhelming, beautiful young woman who is wittier than you are. Anytime I say anything amusing, Scarlett tops me.”
As expected, these comments raised eyebrows and created controversy. Many thought the director was crossing his boundaries and being inappropriate with his star. Others thought Allen’s statements were weird because Johansson was only 19 at the time ofMatch Point. However, the Marvel actress wasn’t too bothered by it, in fact she took it as a flattering compliment. In a 2006 interview with Blackfilm, she said:
“Um – I – you know, I guess I take it as a compliment. But you know, hopefully not too overwhelming. I don’t know. I find him to be overwhelming sometimes. Maybe not s*xually overwhelming, but overwhelming. Especially before he eats his muffins in the morning. But I think it’s very sweet of him to say.”
Johansson’s loyalty to Allen ran so deep that she was one of the few people who publicly supported him when he was facing allegations of s*xual abuse.
Read More:“It looks like garbage to me”: Before Blasting Dwayne Johnson, Marvel Actor Called Scarlett Johansson’s $380M Movie Badly Made Video Game
When Scarlett Johansson Defended Woody Allen
Mia Farrow,Woody Allen’sex-wife, in her1997 memoir, What Falls Away, accused the director of sxually abusing Dylan Farrow, their adopted daughter. Then there are the entire incestuous and sxual abuse allegations regarding Allen and Soon-Yi Previn, Mia Farrow’s other adopted daughter. However, Previn has stated to Newsweek that she never considered the director as her father figure. Over the years, many people had different opinions on these incidents. Scarlett Johansson included.
Read More:‘Your sense of reality is completely skewed’: Scarlett Johansson Called Out Cancel Culture For Slamming ‘Ghost in the Shell’ Casting, Supporting Woody Allen Amidst Molestation Charges
The actress stated that she believed him over everyone else. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she said“I love Woody. I believe him, and I would work with him anytime.”Johansson did face severe criticism for saying this, and in a later Variety interview, she said that she spoke only about her experience with him. She said:
“I don’t know – I feel the way I feel about it. It’s my experience. I don’t know any more than any other person knows. I only have a close proximity with Woody…he’s a friend of mine. But I have no other insight other than my relationship with him.”
Johansson and Allen worked on one more project afterScoop. It was the 2008 filmVicky Cristina Barcelona. After that, the two didn’t collaborate. However, even now, the actress talks fondly about the director. Johansson is currently busy with a couple of projects namely,Project ArtemisandAsteroid City. Allen is busy with making and presenting his 50th film titledCoup de Chance.
Match Pointis available on Hulu.
Source:Black filmandThe Hollywood Reporter
Ishita Chatterjee
Content Writer
Articles Published :752
Ishita is an Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows, with over 700 articles published. She has been working in the entertainment and pop-culture niche for more than 4 years. With a English Literature degree, Ishita generally covers news and analyses on Foundation, Ted Lasso, Severance, and more.A lifelong DC fan, Ishita spends her time watching and re-watching everything in the DC universe (yes, even including the Arrowverse shows).
