Scarlett Johansson says she ‘mishandled’ the situation after being cast as trans character
The 'Avengers' star was set to star as trans man Dante 'Tex' Gill
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Scarlett Johansson says she ‘mishandled’ the situation after she was cast as a trans character in Rub & Tug.
Johansson was cast as the lead role in the Rupert Sanders film, which tells the true story of Dante ‘Tex’ Gill, a trans man in 1970s Pittsburg who became one of the city’s most infamous crime bosses after running brothels disguised as massage parlours.
LGBTQ activists and groups hit out at the movie for casting Johansson over a trans actor.
However, the Avengers star fiercely defended her role in the film, name-checking other cisgender Hollywood stars who have taken on transgender roles over the years.
Johansson eventually stepped down from the movie and apologised previously for her comments.
And now, while speaking to Vanity Fair, the actress admitted she ‘mishandled’ the situation and says she has learned a lot through the process.
She said: “In hindsight, I mishandled that situation. I was not sensitive, my initial reaction to it.
“I wasn’t totally aware of how the trans community felt about those three actors playing — and how they felt in general about cis actors playing — transgender people.
“I wasn’t aware of that conversation — I was uneducated.
“I learned a lot through that process. I misjudged that. It was a hard time. It was like a whirlwind.
“I felt terribly about it. To feel like you’re kind of tone-deaf to something is not a good feeling.”