Scarlett Johansson reveals frustration after losing dream role to Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock in the 2013 hit movie Gravity. Photo / AP

Scarlett Johansson is one of the biggest female film stars in the world but in a candid new interview, the actress revealed even she has had to face rejection from Hollywood directors.

Speaking to Variety magazine, the 38-year-old Under the Skin star said she lost out on her dream role to fellow Hollywood heavyweight Sandra Bullock and it left her feeling “hopeless”.

Sharing that she had just been rejected by casting directors for a role in Iron Man 2, the actress said she also lost out on the lead role in the 2013 sci-fi thriller, Gravity.

“I had wanted that role so much. It was sort of the straw that broke the camel’s back. I felt really frustrated and hopeless. Like, ‘Am I doing the right job?’ The work I was being offered felt deeply unfulfilling.”

While the actress was being offered “every Marilyn Monroe script ever”, she told the magazine it made her feel pigeonholed because she wanted to take her career in a different direction, “I was like, ‘Is this the end of the road creatively?’” she said.

Gravity’s lead roles ultimately went to Bullock and George Clooney with the storyline following the actress’ character trying to survive after being stranded in space. The film became a massive success at the box office earning US$723 million (NZ$1.1 billion).

Johansson’s frustrations at not landing the role grew even more when the film won seven Oscars and saw Bullock nominated for Best Actress.

Despite feeling frustrated by the loss, Johansson appears to have found her niche and following Emily Blunt’s decision to pull out of Iron Man 2, Johansson was offered the role of Black Widow, aka Natasha Romanoff in the Marvel universe.

She went on to star in multiple Avengers films and even had her own stand-alone blockbuster, Black Widow which was released in 2021 and earned US$379m ($594m) at the box office.