Scarlett Johansson says her political views shouldn’t affect her career because it’s not her job to ‘have a public role in society’

• Scarlett Johansson said her political views shouldn't impact her career as an actor.
• She told The Gentlewoman it's "unfair" to expect actors to have a "public role in society."
• The actor also said she's "made a career out of" controversies and is "going to have opinions."
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Scarlett Johansson recently said that her personal beliefs shouldn't interfere with her acting career, explaining that she never signed up to be a politician.

"I don't think actors have obligations to have a public role in society," the 36-year-old "Black Widow" star told The Gentlewoman in their spring and summer 2021 issue, calling it "unfair" to place the expectation on those who don't want it.

"You didn't choose to be a politician, you're an actor," she added.

According to Johansson, her job is to "reflect" life experiences, to "be a mirror" for audiences, and to "have an empathetic experience through art." She said she feels most successful in her work when she connects with the audience and makes them "feel something."

"They have an emotional reaction to it – good, bad, uncomfortable, validating, whatever. That's my job. The other stuff is not my job," she said.

Johansson said she's 'made a career out of' controversy

Despite her desire to keep her views separate from her work, the "Marriage Story" actress' comments and actions have faced backlash numerous times in recent years.

Many people accused her of whitewashing, pointing to Major Kusanagi, an originally Asian character, she played in the 2017 movie "Ghost in the Shell."

In an interview with Marie Claire that year, the actor said she "would never presume to play another race of a person" or want to play a "character that was offensive." Instead, she called it a "rare opportunity" to play a female protagonist.

Many individuals online also grew upset when Johansson defended Woody Allen in 2019 amid sexual assault allegations against him. Johansson and Allen previously worked together on films like "Scoop," "Match Point," and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

Her decision in 2018 to accept a role as a transgender man in "Rub & Tug" also drew a strong reaction, with many calling it insensitive for a cisgender woman to take on the part.

She initially released a statement directing critics to speak with other cisgender actors that have played transgender characters in movies. She later dropped the project, explaining that she "mishandled" the situation.

But in 2019, she told As If that she "should be allowed to play any person, or any tree, or any animal," reviving the controversy surrounding her "Rub & Tug" casting.

After the Q&A was released, Johansson told Insider in a statement that the comment had been "edited for click bait and is widely taken out of context."

In her recent conversation with The Gentlewoman, Johansson said she's "made a career out of " controversies, adding that she's "going to have opinions about things" as a result of who she is.

"Everyone has a hard time admitting when they're wrong about stuff, and for all of that to come out publicly, it can be embarrassing," she explained, adding, "I'm also a person."

Since the backlash, the Oscar-nominated star said she's working on "recognizing when it's not your turn to speak."

"I can be reactive. I can be impatient," she said. "That doesn't mix that great with self-awareness."