By Fernie Ruano Jr.
There’s little about former sex symbol, mom-to-be, all-of-a-sudden cold-eyed killer and my favorite actress, Scarlett Johansson, Hollywood’s newly-minted leading lady turned chemically enhanced drug mule with super powers in Lucy, I don’t know.
Stalking is illegal, so my obsessive relationship with ScarJo, who does blonde proud in her latest men-crushing role, is limited to drooling over magazines in the bookstore, fantasizing in the movie theatre and dreaming on my couch, to Match Point.
The closest I’ve ever come to Scarlett, aside from sharing California rolls with a variety of golden- bleached women with pouty lips, is standing approximately 15 feet from her at an artsy Miami fundraiser in 2007. I’ve touched a ScarJo poster inside the Regal South Beach 18, too
So my 501’snearly came unbuttoned, after sprinkling cream cheese on my shirt, when I received an email from a publicist last month confirming she had actually opened – and read – my request to interview my favorite superhero (Did I write that already?). The downer: “She’s running a real tight schedule, but we might be able to squeeze you in for five minutes. Thank you!”
Great!! After months of having your messages massaged by countless assistants, I just got confirmation – at 6:30 a.m. EST, no less – that it was perfectly alright to go do my groceries and catch up on some reading, instead of sitting by the phone because there was little chance I would be speaking with you know who.Game over, I thought.
But I prayed Charlie Rose was stuck in traffic and the ‘Letterman Show’ on strike – at the same time – in hopes of improving the odds of getting the raspy-voiced bombshell on the line, even while biting into an apple and making love to her cellphone as 17 skinny people snap their fingers at her to remind her (again) Jimmy Fallonis on hold. And I’m done with this freak that must have Lost In Translation on a loop and Vanity Fair’s '14 April edition between his mattress splits and bathroom wastebasket, ScarJo’s Prada-toting puppet (the publicist) must have concluded. Sorry, but this cyberspace war was just getting started.
Back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth we went for five days before I was hit with an ultimatum. “We can get her on the phone for five minutes and have her answer three questions if you email them to me. What do you say?”
I weighed my options. How difficult can it be to come up with three questions and send them to a publicist, who then will answer them herself, after you’ve had enough time to get a long-winded one over the phone from Scarlett herself? So, I took the deal. Besides, there’s no way I could choke all over myself in five minutes, right? I mean, I’ve interviewed countless of bigwigs before. Besides, this is a phone conversation and she’s 3,000 miles away, not sitting across from me in a restaurant. This isn’t a former high school classmate you’ve finally cornered, this is Scarlett fu@#%*! Johansson you’re about to…Yes, the same one that once shared a bed with Ryan Reynolds. Only for you, no condom would be required!!
I envisioned her in some swanky penthouse, propped in the corner of a leather couch, ponytail, no make-up, tee, jeans and flats. But my time for guessing was up, because the chick who’s showed off some variety on the big screen recently – The Avengers, Don Jon, Her, Hitchcock, The Chef, Captain America and The Black Widow- was on the line. SJ: (In her familiar-raspy tone) Hi! What’s up in Miami?
WBF: Plenty now that I have you on the phone (laugh).
WBF: Can we still call you a ‘sex symbol’?
SJ: “You can call me anything you want. If I believe in something, I’m going to give it a look, no matter the role. I’ve always been competitive, even as a young girl, so if I want something, I’m going for it. I’ve had that competitive spirit for as long as I can remember.”
WBF: What is it about Lucy?
SJ: For me, the character was challenging because she was constantly in transition and struggles to hold onto the nuances of herself and her life really, of who she is. And when I met Luc (Besson) it just seemed like a totally different thing than what I was doing (a play on Broadway) , but I felt it was the right fit at the moment. That I could (do it).”
WBF: It kind of feels like your character is getting a lesson, like learning, in Lucy, much like in Under The Skin and Her. What was so enticing about the character and how similar were they to the other two?
SJ: They’re not even real, so all three have allowed me to step out of my boundaries and examine the human behavior, somewhat. The older I get, the less important it is for me to have a relationship with the character. I’m really interested in why people are the way they are and why they do the things they do. How they communicate their experiences. It’s helped me have a better understanding of my work.
WBF: You’re a few months shy of turning 30! Are you done taking off your clothes, or at least most of it, on screen?
SJ: Ha! That’s a good one. We all evolve and strengthen with age. But it’s all in a character and how strong I feel about that character. I hope I didn’t ruin your day or anything.”
WBF: What’s in your immediate future, workwise?
SJ: “We recently received approval to start shooting the adaptation of a novel. Shh!” Word is Scarlett and playwright Tristine Skyler recently received approval to start production on an adaptation of Truman Capote’s Summer Crossings. Scarlett says something might be cooking by fall of 2015, but quiet, please.
WBF: A man you know just fu#%^& up with a woman he really likes. What would your advice be to him?
SJ: “Sounds like a personal problem. I would let it simmer for a few days, and not add any fuel to the fire."
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