Its not that she had six dads or something.
Scarlett Johansson who is on the cover of Paste magazines for its June issue talks about her real life dad and five other dads who influenced her personally and professionally.
About her real life dad:"My dad's Danish. That would be the first adjective I'd use to describe my father. As silly as that sounds, it's a small nation– and what comes with being Danish, I think, is a very specific sense of humor– very dry– and a certain sense of mortality.My dad's an architect so he has an incredible aesthetic.I mean every detail, he takes such great care. Even when he's opening a letter. Even when he used to pack my lunch, he was so specific about the way the creases fold. And he's very delicate with his hands. He's very careful, and very visually inspired. He has a very specific aesthetic that leaves an impression on you as a kid. He has a different way of looking at things because he's an architect, you know. He's always looking at the structure, the balance, the composition. And even when it's looking at a bed of flowers, he'll say 'Look at how the white balances out the rest. Look at the shadows, look at the shape.' So I think that's influenced me visually, really."
On how she is influenced personally and professionally by her five "dads" i.e Woody Allen, Bill Murray, Tom Waits, Barack Obama and Bob Dylan.
Bill Murray:
“It was difficult working on Lost In Translation.First of all, I was 17, and I was going through my own shit—graduating from high school and figuring out what I wanted, what was important to me, finding my independence. I was in Tokyo, which was totally foreign to me, and I was working insane hours. It wasn’t like Bill and I had so much in common that we could have this great personal relationship. We were at totally different stages in our lives, and I don’t think he was necessarily so fascinated by what I was going through. But we were fortunate that we had a lot of chemistry between us.”
“Bill brings an integrity to the work because he really personalizes it,He shared his own kind of wisdom in that film. Some of his lines were things he had written, very poignant moments like when he says, ‘You get older, you have kids….’ He’s reminiscing with this character. I think a lot of people related to his character because it was really coming from him.
Woody Allen:"I don’t know why relationships between men and women are always pigeon-holed into being some kind of push-and-pull for sexual power. I’m always kind of weirded out when I’m interviewed by people who say, ‘Gosh! Woody must be in love with you.’ It’s like, ‘fucking expand your mind.’ We have a great friendship between us and I have such a fondness for him as a person. I can appreciate his quirks.”
“He’s very modern in his way of thinking and has a great enthusiasm, a hunger for what he does. He’s just so full of ideas, and it’s inspiring to see somebody who’s in the autumn of his life but hasn’t lost any of the passion for storytelling.He’s fascinated by human nature, and so am I.”
Tom Waits:
Scarlett who has
released a cover album of his music says, “At first it was like, ‘What this weird music that your dad listens to?’ Johansson recalls. “But Tom Waits’ music somehow oddly appeals to a kid because records like Small Change have that circusy, carnival-act vibe. The songs are very cinematic. I think as a kid I was attracted to that in the same way I loved “Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!”—one of my favorite Beatles songs. It really lets a kid’s imagination take flight.”
Barack Obama:“It’s been so exciting to get out there and talk to kids—and I say ‘kids’ meaning my peers—about why I appreciate Barack. He’s confronting health-care issues that affect young people. You know, most of my friends don’t have insurance. They’re working as photo assistants and stuff like that. These kids on the campaign trail asking questions, they are so well-informed. They’re asking really specific policy questions. It impacts whether they decide to vote for Clinton or Obama, or decide to register as independent or support McCain. They have real concerns, and they want answers. I love that part of it. So that’s a whole other aspect of this life that’s been fun and inspiring.”
Bob Dylan:Scarlett featured in Bob Dylan’s song “When The Deal Goes Down” shot by Bennett Miller.She felt like she had won a lottery when offered to star in the video.“I’ve been fortunate enough to never be the biggest media sensation,I’ll do anything to avoid it. It’s so gross—that whole tabloid shit is disgusting and awful."
With inputs from
Paste.
