Scarlett Johansson has responded to criticism over her casting as Pittsburgh crime boss Dante “Tex” Gill in Rub & Tug, a new film from her Ghost in the Shell director Rupert Sanders.
Gill was born Jean Gill, but identified as a man and ran an empire of illegal massage parlours during the 1970s, as well as an anabolic steroid ring that fuelled the Pittsburgh Steelers NFL team.
After an online backlash to the news, with many people stating that the role should have gone to a transgender actor, Johansson has sparked further criticism with her response, stating to Bustle that:
“Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment.”
This isn’t the first time that Johansson has found herself embroiled in controversy over a casting, as there was also criticism of her casting as ‘The Major’ in Sanders’ Ghost in the Shell.
