Scarlett Johansson has made her return to Broadway — her first time since her 2010 debut in Arthur Miller‘s A View From the Bridge — as Maggie in Tennessee Williams‘ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. In an interview with The New York Times, Johansson explains that the role comes after what she calls a three-year “growing up” period.
Johansson reveals that one of the reasons why she was interested in taking the role was to move away from some of the lighter roles she had in the past. She explains, “I felt extreme vulnerability over the last few years, more than I ever had, and no longer wanted to keep rushing into movie jobs or a play just to escape how I was feeling. Once I wanted to work again, I wanted to start playing adults — tough women who knew what it took to survive.”
Part of her decision had to do with choosing roles that would be a major challenge for her. She says, “After my first time on Broadway I decided I wanted to keep doing projects that I didn’t know how to do. I’m finally at a place in my life where I feel comfortable not anticipating the result. I’m comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
Ultimately, though she says that she’s “comfortable with being uncomfortable,” there is obviously a certain comfort for Johansson in “adult” roles. She confesses,”I feel like I’ve been transitioning from young woman into womanhood for a very long time. Now, as I approach 30, with the last few years behind me, I feel like growing pains are behind me. It’s just nice to feel happy.”
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opens on January 17 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre
