Scarlett Johansson shared at the Cannes Film Festival that she no longer fears fading away as an actor, but as a director, she feels a deep responsibility to tell stories that might otherwise be lost over time.
“I think I’ve been working for a long enough time that I’ve sort of moved past worrying about disappearing, which is very liberating,” Johansson said.
The 40-year-old actress, who began her career as a child in 1998’s The Horse Whisperer, was at Cannes both to act and to present her directorial debut, Eleanor The Great.
The film’s lead, 95-year-old June Squibb, received widespread acclaim for her portrayal of a grief-stricken retiree in New York who adopts the personal story of her late best friend, a Holocaust survivor.
Johansson highlighted the urgency behind sharing such narratives: “In a time where we grapple constantly with who has the right to tell someone else’s story, we also have to face the fact that the stories have to be told. Or else they disappear.”
Johansson also spoke about her connection to the film’s themes of Jewish identity, drawn from growing up in New York City and personal family experiences.
“I had a grandmother who was not exactly like Eleanor, but also a very formidable—and sometimes impossible—person that I was very, very close with,” she explained. “And she is certainly woven into this story.”
Squibb praised Johansson’s directing, noting the comfort actors feel working under a director who understands the craft firsthand.
“I’ve worked with some wonderful directors, but none of them have the acting knowledge that this one has,” she said. “It’s wonderful because you can relax; there’s no pressure.”
The veteran actress was Oscar-nominated for Nebraska in 2013 and recently starred in Thelma (2024), playing a determined 93-year-old seeking justice against a phone scammer.
Reflecting on acting, Squibb said, “We’re all trying to do it right… You get another chance to do that—if you can keep working.”
Johansson also appeared on the Cannes red carpet as part of the cast of Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, a Palme d’Or contender.
