Scarlett Johansson revealed to Variety last month that she auditioned for the lead role in Alfonso Cuarns 2013 3D space epic Gravity, which became a box office blockbuster with over $720 million worldwide and earned 10 Oscar nominations, including best picture. Cuarn won the best director prize, while Sandra Bullock was nominated for best actress. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Johansson cited Gravity as one of her weirder Hollywood audition stories.
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, Johansson recalled. Even though I was just sitting in a chair with a helmet on.
In her Variety interview, Johansson cited losing out on Gravity and Iron Man 2 as the moment she went into crisis mode as an actor. Marvel originally cast Emily Blunt as Black Widow over Johansson. When Blunt had to drop out because of scheduling conflicts, the door opened for Johansson to take on the career-defining Marvel role.
I got turned down for two roles the first was Iron Man 2 and then the other one was Alfonso Cuarns Gravity, Johansson said. I had wanted that role so much. It was sort of the straw that broke the camels 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 headlining Wes Andersons star-studded new film Asteroid City, in theaters June 16 from Focus Features.