Another high-profile female has shared her thoughts on the ever-popular work/life debate popularized by Anne-Marie Slaughter’s landmark “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” piece.
This time it’s actress Scarlett Johansson, who mused on life, love, work and family in the newest issue of WSJ Magazine. The 29-year-old star been making the publicity rounds, thanks to roles in the big-budget caper Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Under the Skin, a creepy indie that just might be the polar opposite of a superhero flick (ScarJo plays an alien).
In the interview, Johansson shares news of her engagement to advertising firm creative director Romain Dauriac, as well as kinda sorta confirms what we already knew: she’s expecting. She muses on the topic while attempting to reconcile the idea of career with family:
“There must exist a world in which I can balance those things, be able to raise a family and still make a film a year, or work on my own, develop things, do theater. I want to be able to have it all.” She laughs. “Selfishly.”
She continues, acknowledging the unfairness that comes along with being female:
“I know that with that there will be some sacrifices. I know that’s the struggle with working mothers and successful careers. It happens.” This topic is always tinged with double standard is obvious, and Johansson isn’t shy about acknowledging the gender gap in her profession: “With [male actors] it just doesn’t happen that way. You can be every woman’s fantasy, and nobody thinks twice about the fact that you have eight kids or whatever.”
Even so, this latest article is less controversial than other recent interviews, in which Johansson talked about working with Woody Allen and the SodaStream ad that cost her a role as an Oxfam ambassador.
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