Casting directors were initially not impressed with Scarlett Johansson’s one feature, which later became the focus of fan obsession.

Long before Scarlett Johansson became the highest-grossing star in Hollywood, she faced rejection for several roles due to her one unique feature. Fans became obsessed with Johansson’s smooth yet slightly husky voice, especially after her voice role as the AI assistant Samantha in Her. But casting directors were initially unimpressed with her trademark voice when she was a little girl looking to build a career in the spotlight.

Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation

Johansson initially pursued musical theater, but her deep voice made it difficult to get cast. The Marriage Story actress decided to transition into acting and began auditioning for commercials. She later appeared in an off-Broadway production of Sophistry, before making her film debut in North at the age of 9.

Scarlett Johansson’s Trademark Husky Voice Lost Her Roles As A Child Actress

Scarlett Johansson in The Horse Whisperer

Scarlett Johansson‘s voice has now become one of her most remarkable features. Johansson’s breakout role in Lost in Translation was not only marked by her acting skills but also by her breezy voice and delivery of lines. As a little girl, her musical theatre aspirations were shattered when a talent agent signed one of her brothers instead of her. She revealed to Candis magazine that her deep voice made it impossible to get cast and forced her to pursue acting.

However, when she started auditioning for acting roles in commercials, her voice once again did not help her case. The casting directors were not impressed with her husky voice. The Black Widow actress recalled losing count of casting directors asking her if she had a sore throat. Johansson shared with Candis magazine (via Daily Mail):

“When I was a little kid, I trained as a singer because I really wanted to do musical theatre, but my voice was so deep it was impossible for me to get cast! So I went into acting instead. I’d go on auditions, I was this cute little blonde girl, then I’d open my mouth and say [in a deep voice], ‘Buy this product, it’s fantastic!’ It was quite a disadvantage at the time. I lost count of hearing casting directors ask me if I had a sore throat.”

Scarlett Johansson quickly grew weary of the commercial auditions, which she revealed to Allure magazine in 2005 (via People). She shared, “It was like a cattle call. I didn’t want to promote Wonder Bread.” She began taking acting classes on the weekends and, at the age of 8, made an appearance alongside Ethan Hawke in an off-Broadway production of Sophistry. After her film debut in North, she made her breakthrough as a teen actress in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World.

Scarlett Johansson’s Voice Became One Of Her Assets

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow

Besides her iconic role as Black Widow in nine films in the MCU, Scarlett Johansson has also been part of some exceptional films. Her versatile acting chops in films like He’s Just Not That Into You, Jojo Rabbit, Marriage Story, and Lucy, were also elevated by her husky smooth voice. Johansson also landed several voice roles, the most notable being her role in Her. Johansson’s voice performance in the film received widespread critical acclaim.

She was later cast in The Jungle Book in 2016 as the voice of Kaa. In the same year, she was cast in the role of Ash in Sing where she also got to showcase some of her singing skills. Johansson is set to voice the role of Elita One in the upcoming film, Transformers One. Her voice, once a factor that limited her opportunities as a child actress, is now giving back in plenty.

Scarlett Johansson’s debut film North is now available for streaming on Tubi. Her other roles in The Horse Whisperer and Lost in Translation are now available for rent on AppleTV+. Her is now available for streaming on Max.