Backlash After Scarlett Johansson Cast As Trans Character

ScarJo, no! Image by Getty Images

By Jenny Singer July 5, 2018

Scarlett Johansson has faced massive criticism this week for taking on a role as an apparently transgender man. Johansson will play Dante “Tex” Gill, an iconic massage-parlor kingpin who dominated Pittsburgh’s illicit pleasure centers in the 70’s and 80’s in the upcoming movie “Rub and Tug.” Johansson is a cisgender woman. Gill presented and identified as masculine.

In response to the waves of criticism, a representative for Johansson told Bustle, “Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment.” Those three actors all played transgender characters in major studio productions, despite identifying as cisgender themselves. This is the second time in one year Johansson has been accused of accepting a role that should rightfully have gone to a member of a specific marginalized identity group — the first was for her role in “Ghost in a Shell,” as a Japanese cyber-creature. Rupert Sanders, who directed that film, will direct “Rub and Tug” as well.

Whether it’s wrong to ever cast a cisgender person in a transgender role is tough to determine.

Whether it’s wrong to never, ever cast an actual transgender person in a transgender role is much easier. For more persuasive arguments, the Schmooze hands our baton to the good people of Twitter.

Some serious and compassionate advice:

I hope the Scarlett Johansson controversy doesn’t keep the amazing story of Jean Marie Gill aka Dante “Tex” Gill from being told – if Johansson was smart, she’d find a new director, take the role of Tex’s girlfriend Cynthia, and give a trans actor a big break: pic.twitter.com/1eKnZxp89Q

— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) July 4, 2018

Just some logic:

The only role that makes sense for Scarlett Johansson to play at this point is Rachel Dolezal

— Orli Matlow (@HireMeImFunny) July 4, 2018

Deserved righteous anger:

Actors who are trans never even get to audition FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN ROLES OF TRANS CHARACTERS. THATS THE REAL ISSUE. WE CANT EVEN GET IN THE ROOM. Cast actors WHO ARE TRANS as NON TRANS CHARACTERS. I DARE YOU #RupertSanders @NewRegency #ScarlettJohansson https://t.co/RkrW8MeGcG

— Jamie Clayton (@MsJamieClayton) July 4, 2018

Just some simple facts:

I do not think Scarlett Johansson is an evil person or has ill-intent, but I do feel that if she doesn’t start hiring some career consultants moving forward we are 100% going to see her play Nelson Mandela in a biopic.

— Patti Harrison (@Party_Harderson) July 4, 2018

Trace Lysette of “Transparent” tells it:

And not only do you play us and steal our narrative and our opportunity but you pat yourselves on the back with trophies and accolades for mimicking what we have lived… so twisted. I’m so done…

— Trace Lysette (@tracelysette) July 4, 2018

And the Colin Jost angle:

I expected more from Colin Jost’s girlfriend.

— Cole Escola (@ColeEscola) July 5, 2018

Jenny Singer is the deputy lifestyle editor for the Forward. You can reach her at Singer@forward.com or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

Jenny Singer is a freelance writer with pieces in Vox, the Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, Teen Vogue, and more. She was previously a staff writer at Glamour and the Forward, and she’s currently getting an MFA in nonfiction writing at the University of Iowa.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO