Her third Woody Allen film in three years is about to hit US movie theatres, but Scarlett Johansson rejects suggestions that she is the legendary New York director s latest muse.
After appearing in 2005 s Match Point and 2006 s Scoop, Johansson has teamed up with Allen once again for his much-talked about Spanish-set comedy Vicky Cristina Barcelona, to be released last Friday in North America.
But while Allen is happy to shower his leading lady with praise, Johansson says she does not see herself as following Diane Keaton or Mia Farrow, who starred repeatedly for the director during the 1970s and early 1990s.
I m not his muse, Johansson told reporters at a press event in Beverly Hills. Every single junket that we ve done so far, we always get the muse thing and we always say no, it s not that way.
Johansson, 23, instead prefers to see herself as part of Allen s repertory company, viewing her collaborations with Allen as simply working with a friend.
Woody and I both appreciate how wonderful it is to work with your friends, and it s fun and we always have a great time when we do it, we entertain each other, we understand each other and we poke each other, she said.
Allen, meanwhile, says that if Johansson is his muse, she is an accidental one. He points out that he only cast her in the acclaimed London-set Match Point after Kate Winslet withdrew at the 11th hour.
Scarlett was an accident, says Allen, saying he didn t know her from a hole in the wall when he considered her for Winslet s Match Point role as a struggling actress who ends up being murdered by her married lover.
I thought (Johansson) was too young to play the part. She was only 19 years old at the time. But I was in a hole, I had to get somebody quickly, and I knew that Scarlett was a great actress and a beauty, Allen said.
I hired her and became totally captivated by her. I thought she could simply do anything. She was not only beautiful but also bright, amusing, charming, and gifted, he says.
In Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Johansson s character is part of a love triangle that also includes the film s other two principal actors, Spanish stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem.
Allen is already being tipped to add to his record 14 screenwriting Oscar nominations for the comedy-drama, which early reviews have described as one of the prolific director s best for years.
Predictably, much of the pre-movie buzz has focused on the love scenes involving Johansson, Oscar-winner Bardem and Cruz. Yet Johansson says the steaminess of the scenes were lost on her during filming in Barcelona.
When you re shooting there s like 60 grown men eating salami sandwiches waiting for when they can get up and go, Johansson said. And you think Are we rolling? Because the crew are passing trays of food around.
I think there s a lot of chemistry between the characters and all of us as actors and that s where the steaminess comes from, because it s not really explicit. I mean nothing is like crazy about it.
Johansson meanwhile will be seen later this year in The Spirit, the latest movie from 300 director Frank Miller, where she will play femme fatale secretary Silken Floss.
I loved working with Frank, he s such a visionary, Johansson said. He creates these fantastic characters and they re just so rotten. None of his characters are heroes, they re all kind of gray. I love that. -AFP
