Celebrities are not new to being asked weird questions, and for actresses, the questions can be outright sexist. Scarlett Johansson has had her fair share of such questions throughout her career, unfortunately.
The actress has no problem putting the interviewer in their place, and she has done it ever so often. However, one time, the Black Widow star was on the receiving end of a rather silly question, and Robert Downey Jr., her co-star, shut it down immediately.
When Robert Downey Jr. shut down a sexist question aimed at Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is one of the most popular actresses around in the film industry at present. While the actress caught everyone’s attention since her debut in North, she enjoyed a burst in popularity courtesy of her role as Black Widow in the MCU.
She made her MCU debut in Iron Man 2, starring Robert Downey Jr. as the titular character. Since then, Johansson has appeared in numerous films by the studio as Natasha Romanoff, before her sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame helped save her team and the world.
Johansson and Downey Jr. have starred in several films together since then, and are friends. As co-stars, they have appeared in several interviews together. Unfortunately, one interview left a bitter aftertaste in their mouths.
The duo took the stage together for a promotional interview in 2012, and the difference in the questions posed to them could not have been more stark. The Iron Man actor was asked about how he adapted to the shift in attitude in The Avengers, whereas Johansson was asked about her diet.
Robert Downey Jr. immediately cut in and shut down the interviewer by stating that everyone would be more interested in Johansson’s question than his own.
“I was just gonna say the very thing, that’s so funny. How come you get the really interesting existential question, and I get the rabbit food question?” she asked.
Sexism is one of the biggest issues that women have to face. Even Hollywood stars are not exempted from it, as seen in this instance.
Scarlett Johansson standing up to sexism
The Under the Skin actress is one of the highest-paid actresses in the industry. In 2019, she topped Forbes’ list too, and she has led by example since then, even if she has been mired in controversies.
In an interview with Glamour magazine, Johansson spoke about women having to be each other’s biggest allies. She confessed that she learned it from her mother and that equal pay was a big step in the right direction to combat sexism.
“Even when I was a teenager in the industry or a young woman, my mom would have those conversations. Like ‘why is she not getting [paid the same]?’ There were always these little key terms, like ‘bankability’ and ‘box office draw’. Those are all terms that are basically masquerading as sexism,” she said.
Scarlett Johansson has been known to call out journalists for their sexist behavior or questions. While it still plagues the world, hopefully, more women and allies will come together to take down this evil.
