Scarlett Johansson’s voice-only role in Spike Jonze’s Her could be poised for Oscar history

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Scarlett Johansson is going to be nominated for an Oscar someday and will probably win, but you would expect it to be in a role for which she appears on screen. Buzz is building for Spike Jonze‘s latest film, HER, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Amy Adams, Olivia Wilde, and Scarlett Johansson‘s voice. In HER, Johansson plays the object of Phoenix’s affections despite not being an actual person. Deadline is even stating that Warner Bros is looking to possibly submit the actress for awards consideration.

If you were unaware of HER, here is the synopsis:

Set in Los Angeles, slightly in the future, Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive entity in its own right, individual to each user. Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet “Samantha” (Scarlett Johansson), a bright, female voice, who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other.

The trailer shows a very intimate romance developing between Phoenix and the inanimate object of his affections. It sounds crazy on paper but you can see how it works in the trailer. Film festival reception has been positive. Warner Bros. has already looked into Johansson’s eligibility for an acting category despite never appearing on screen in the film. If a nomination were to occur, history would be made.

Many expected the revolution in acting awards to have been triggered by Andy Serkis‘ amazing work in both THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy as well as RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. It is widely considered a major snub, but HER could change the way acting is looked at in various ways. While HER certainly seems intriguing, it will also remind many of the phenomenal voice work done by actors for animated films over the years (Ed Asner in UP jumps to mind).

HER opens in theaters on December 18, 2013.