Scarlett Johansson says failed ‘Gravity’ audition felt like “end of the road”
Scarlett Johansson has spoken out about how she once auditioned for Gravity and felt crushed after she lost the part to Sandra Bullock.
Alfonso Cuarón’s 2013 box office blockbuster Gravity pulled in over $720million (£567million) worldwide and earned 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Cuarón won the Best Director prize and Bullock also got nominated for Best Actress.
Angelina Jolie was originally offered the role but she turned down the part which led to Bullock, Natalie Portman, Naomi Watts, Carey Mulligan and Johansson being contacted.
Speaking about her audition, she told Entertainment Tonight: “I did a screen test for the movie Gravity, that Sandra Bullock is fantastic in, but I had to be in like the full, whole space suit thing, and sort of pretend I was kind of like floating in space. Even though I was just sitting in a chair with a helmet on.”
In a separate interview with Variety, Johansson cited losing out on Gravity and Iron Man 2 as a point where she went into crisis mode as an actor.
Marvel originally cast Emily Blunt as Black Widow over Johansson but when Blunt had to drop out because of scheduling conflicts, she stepped into the role.
“I got turned down for two roles – the first was Iron Man 2 and then the other one was Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity,” Johansson said. “I had wanted that role so much. It was sort of the straw that broke the camel’s back. I felt really frustrated and hopeless. Like, ‘Am I doing the right job?’ The work I was being offered felt deeply unfulfilling. I think I was offered every Marilyn Monroe script ever. I was like, ‘Is this the end of the road creatively?’”
Johansson is currently starring alongside Tom Hanks, Steve Carell and Margot Robbie, in Wes Anderson‘s Asteroid City.
Reviewing the film, NME awarded it four stars and said: “The Anderson faithful will certainly be rewarded by a lush-looking film and a cast so big, there hasn’t even been time to mention Margot Robbie, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe, and Jeff Goldblum.”
Asteroid City is released in cinemas on June 23.
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Damian Jones
NME
