Scarlett Johansson says she embraces the similarities between herself and the character Elita-1 in her latest role in Transformers One. The Oscar-nominated actress voices a tough leader for Autobots in her role.
The role was tailor-made for Johansson after director Josh Cooley reached out to her personally and said he could hear her voice in the role.
“It was a surprise to me,” she said. “It was such a great script. It had such cinematic qualities. It has so much heart. This movie has so much heart. It has really great messages in there, and it’s really funny too.”
Johansson said that the physical demands of voice acting, especially for action-packed scenes, are as intense as some of her other action film roles. Johansson compared the experience to her decade-long work as Black Widow in “The Avengers” movies, where intense physicality was essential.
“You’re squatting and punching and running in place … it’s really very physical, but it brings the action to life,” she said.
When asked if she sees any similarities between herself and Elita-1, Johansson smiled.
“She is very driven, she has a healthy ambition. She believes in her ability. She has all these qualities that make a leader,” she said. “She’s a bit of a control freak, which I may or may not know anything about.”
“Transformers One,” distributed by Paramount Pictures, which is part of CBS parent Paramount Global, hits theaters Friday.