Scarlett Johansson says she accepts the similarities between herself and the character of Elita-1 in her latest role in Transformers One. The Oscar-nominated actress plays a fierce leader of the Autobots in his role.
The role was tailor-made for Johansson after director Josh Cooley contacted her personally and said he could hear her voice in the role.
“It was a surprise to me,” she said. “It was a great script. It had such cinematic qualities. There’s so much heart in that movie. It really has incredible messages and it’s also really funny.”
Johansson said the physical demands of voice acting, especially for action-packed scenes, are just as intense as some of her other action movie roles. Johansson compared the experience to her decade-long stint as Black Widow in “The Avengers” films, where intense physicality was essential.
“You’re crouching, you’re punching and you’re running in place… it’s really physical, but it brings the action to life,” she said.
When asked if she saw any similarities between herself and Elita-1, Johansson smiled.
“She’s very driven, she has a healthy ambition. She believes in her abilities. She has all the qualities that make a leader,” she said. “She’s a control freak, which is something I may not know much about.”
“Transformers One,” distributed by Paramount Pictures, part of CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, hits theaters Friday.
