Scarlett Johansson criticised for decision to play transgender man in new biopic
Johansson will play Pittsburgh crime boss Dante Gill in Rub & Tug.
Scarlett Johansson is facing a backlash after it was announced that she will play a transgender man in her next movie role. Johansson has teamed up with Ghost In The Shell director Rupert Sanders for a biopic of Dante 'Tex' Gill, a 1970s Pittsburgh crime boss, in the upcoming Rub & Tug.
However, Johansson's casting in the role has been perceived by some online as trans actors being passed over for a role they are more suited to than their cisgender colleagues.
The criticism got worse when a representative for Scarlett gave Bustle a comment reportedly from the actress herself, seemingly dismissing the concerns. "Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman's reps for comment."
Felicity Huffman played a transgender man in 2005’s Transamerica, while Jared Leto won an Oscar in 2014 for his performance as a transgender woman dying of AIDS in Dallas Buyer’s Club. Tambor, meanwhile, took on the lead role in the award-winning TV series Transparent.
Johansson and director Sanders were accused of "white-washing" in 2017 when she played a character in Ghost In The Shell originally written as Asian in the poorly-received manga remake.