Celebrity Interview - Scarlett Johansson - Comments

Scarlett Johansson

Poster: Lily Rogers 19/09/2007

Her life is still a work in progress and Scarlett Johansson is ready to admit that she's still figuring out her place in the celebrity world.

"I feel pretty free and open to the world these days," says Johansson. "I have a good life and I'm trying to do interesting things and not just live some superficial celebrity lifestyle. As tempting as that can be, I want to try to lead a serious life and be a responsible person."

Instead of attending this year Oscar ceremonies, the actress went on a 10-day goodwill trip to the poorer regions of India and Sri Lanka on behalf of Oxfam where she met children studying at schools created by the relief organisation to help the region's most disadvantaged people.

"This was an important trip for me and it really opened up my eyes," said Johansson. "I learned so much and I hope I've been able to help Oxfam raise awareness for what it's trying to do to help children and the poor.

"I met a young girl, Gudiya, at a school for Dalit children, a community considered to be the lowest class in India... She was an amazing, bright young girl, full of ambition and attending the fifth grade.... Every morning she rises at 3am to study and then complete her household chores before walking for half an hour to school.... She's a real inspiration to me and her self-pride and drive to succeed was an obvious outcome from her schooling. So lending my support to this kind of very real and very substantial project is at least my way of using my celebrity to some positive purpose. I'm also making myself aware of the kinds of projects that we should get behind and support whenever we can."

Johansson has long been interested in social and environmental causes and now she feels she can undertake such goodwill trips without feeling awkward.

"I think you have to wait until you understand enough about yourself and your own place in the world before you start trying to set any kind of example for others," she says. "I think being a responsible human being means that you need to learn about your world and try to make some kind of contribution."

"I would never want people to think I'm trying to exploit my celebrity in any frivolous or self-serving way. I've been inspired by what Angelina Jolie and other people in my profession have done to promote awareness about many important causes in the world and if I can help in some way I want to be a part of that process."

Her trip to the Indian subcontinent may well be the first of many such charitable journeys for Johansson as she gains self-confidence as an independent woman trying to define her own set of priorities.

"I'm still going through an evolution when it comes to knowing what I want in life and what things are meaningful to me," she says. "I can be pretty cynical and I'm trying to fight that...

"The current state of the world is pretty depressing. It makes me pessimistic. I would like to have children one day and I wonder how I'm going to explain in a rational way why human beings seem some cruel to one another and why our world can seem so irrational. But having said all that, I'm still determined to be hopeful about the future."

Certainly her time touring the subcontinent has earned the young actress high praise from Oxfam's executive director, Jeremy Hobbs.
"By supporting Oxfam, Scarlett is taking a stand alongside millions of people globally who are working to overcome poverty... Her support is crucial in helping to show how the smallest donation to Oxfam can mean the world of difference to a poor community."

Having burst onto the film scene with her captivating performance in Lost in Translation, followed up by critically-acclaimed turns in more recent films like A Love Song for Bobby Long and Woody Allen's Match Point, Johansson is well-placed to establish herself as one of Hollywood's leading actresses.
Her self-questioning perspective is also the kind of quality that keeps her grounded when the media seems bent on turning her into a superstar.
"I feel very privileged and grateful to have the kind of life I'm able to lead," she observes. "I'm glad that I grew up with the business in New York so I'm not surprised or overwhelmed by the kind of attention that can come with my profession... I want to be able to do good work as an actor and do good things and not delude myself about the kind of life I'm leading. So maybe my cynical side has some benefits (laughs)."

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