In the realm of Spike Jonze’s futuristic romance film “Her,” Scarlett Johansson discloses how a peculiar moment involving simulated intimacy nearly caused Joaquin Phoenix to malfunction.
Within the 2013 sci-fi narrative, Johansson assumes the role of Samantha, a virtual assistant akin to Alexa.
Despite not physically appearing in the movie, her voice serves as a constant presence throughout.
Phoenix embodies Theodore, Samantha’s owner who eventually develops romantic feelings for the artificially intelligent assistant.
The crux of their on-screen relationship lies in an intimate scenario where Johansson vocalizes sounds of pleasure and climax.
During a conversation on Dax Shepard and Monica Padman’s “Armchair Expert” podcast, Johansson delved into the discomfort surrounding the unconventional scene.
Detailing the behind-the-scenes process, the “Black Widow” actress revealed that Phoenix had already filmed his segment of the scene.
However, given that only Johansson’s voice features in the final cut, Phoenix had to collaborate with her in a recording studio to synchronize their performances.
Recalling the experience, Johansson mentioned that Phoenix struggled to maintain composure during the session.
Envisioning the setup with dim lighting and the director present, she described the atmosphere as surreal and perplexing, which evidently unnerved Phoenix to the extent that he abruptly left the studio, necessitating a breather.
Reflecting on the incident, Johansson admitted that revisiting the scene induces a sense of unease within her, empathizing with Phoenix’s reaction.
She highlighted the discomfort associated with hearing one’s own voice and, particularly, the thought of vocalizing simulated intimate sounds.
In a humorous anecdote, Johansson remarked on the relief that Jonze didn’t opt for Kim Cattrall embodying her iconic character from “s** and the City” in the film.
Alluding to a parody trailer from 2014 where Cattrall replaces Johansson as Samantha, the notion suggests a potentially more awkward dynamic for Phoenix in an alternate casting scenario.
