Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist

Guest: Scarlett Johansson
Episode: MARVEL STARS: Scarlett Johansson on 'Asteroid City' and Building The Outset
Date: December 13, 2025

Episode Overview

This intimate episode of Sunday Sitdown features a candid and wide-ranging conversation between Willie Geist and award-winning actress Scarlett Johansson. The dialogue covers Scarlett’s celebrated career, her experience filming Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, reflections on her Marvel run, her early start in acting, and her role as co-founder of the skincare company The Outset. Scarlett discusses the challenges and triumphs of balancing Hollywood stardom, entrepreneurship, and motherhood, with evocative anecdotes and thoughtful analysis of her creative journey.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Asteroid City and the Wes Anderson Experience

(03:03–16:22)

• First Live-Action Wes Anderson Role

  • Scarlett expresses deep excitement for being cast, particularly as Wes Anderson wrote the part expressly for her during the pandemic.

    "It's like a career dream goal. Definitely. I was very excited to read a script in its entirety of his, which I never had the chance to do." — Scarlett Johansson [03:25]

  • The call gave her hope during COVID-19:

    "...it actually was a really even more exciting phone call to get because it felt hopeful in a time that was very...all over the place." [03:41]

• How She Describes the Film

  • Scarlett calls Asteroid City an exploration of existentialism, creativity, and the unique circus of acting.

    "I think the film is really sort of exploration in existentialism... a celebration of creativity and the nomadic circus that actors create around themselves." [05:06]

• The On-Set Environment

  • Filmed in isolation (Chinchón, Spain) on a watermelon farm, the set fostered a close-knit, magical atmosphere reminiscent of a traveling theater troupe.

    "It was so unique. I've never experienced... I'd say doing theater is maybe the closest thing that I could describe it to..." [07:52]

• On Her Character, Midge

  • Midge is a complex, enigmatic movie star, inspired by Bette Davis—Scarlett draws on a sense of always being watched, both from her life and her character's.

    "She's kind of narcissistic and self involved...I love Bette Davis and...her vulnerability, her strength...She feels to me very authentic." [09:44]

• Filming During Pregnancy

  • Scarlett recounts how pregnancy intersected with the delaying of production, her concern for commitment, and Wes Anderson's support:

    "In true Wes fashion, he was so excited that I was pregnant. He said, how long do you think you're going to need post birth?...So on my eight week postpartum date, I was flying to Spain..." [11:19]

  • Her newborn was "babysat" by a cadre of Oscar winners on set.

    “I got to bring my infant baby to the table and he could be held by Adrien Brody and Willem Dafoe and Bryan Cranston and everybody else.” [12:37]

• Meta Element: Bringing Personal Experience

  • Scarlett relates her own experience of being observed with the character’s constant sense of being watched.

    "All actors are hyper aware of being watched...that's a part of both of the actors that I play in this." [13:59]

• On the Excitement of the Premiere

  • She compares the buzz of a Wes Anderson film to the heightened anticipation surrounding Marvel movies.

    "Working for Marvel for 10 years, people were always wanting to know little secrets...it's so fun to feel like you're part of something that's eagerly anticipated." [15:14]

2. Entrepreneurship and The Outset Skincare

(17:49–29:16)

• Becoming a Startup Founder

  • Scarlett describes the process as "a completely different industry...it's work that when you have a business where you are producing something...there are challenges with every step." [18:04]
  • The gratification comes from customer feedback and transformation.

• Real Work, Not Just a Celebrity Name

  • She distinguishes her hands-on investment from typical celebrity licensing, crediting her partnership with Kate Foster and a "scrappy startup" mentality.

    "...you really have to be like the, your own, the engine of your own machine. And so. But that's how I wanted it." [19:24]

• Personal Motivation

  • Years of struggling with acne influenced her commitment:

    "Since I was probably 12, 13 years old, have struggled with acne...At some point I thought, you know, it was like I have to kind of just stop everything and just try something else, which was just using very, you know, clean moisturizing products...That's when my skin completely transformed." [21:21]

• Differentiators for The Outset

  • Focus on simplicity, transparency, accessibility, and clean ingredients.

    "You can begin with the outset. It's a very...accessible or affordable luxury...it's very clear what the, you know, what the ingredients are, how to use the products." [24:15]

    • The Outset’s products intentionally “play well with others”: "There's so much fatigue, I think, out there with just the noise in the space and what product follows what... We say our products play well with others." [24:48]

• Men Are a Key Consumer Group

  • Significant male customer base due to simplicity and speed of the regimen.

    "I think that's because the products are so...It takes me probably 2 minutes and 33 seconds..." [26:02]

  • Husband Colin Jost is the “eye cream connoisseur,” and product tester:

    "Colin became our eye cream expert. Wow. And I got him to switch to the outset eye cream." [26:35]

• Growth Plans

  • Expansion to international markets (e.g., Cult Beauty in the UK), gradual product development (especially SPF), and maintaining high standards.

    "We just are dipping our toe into international...We're now at Cult Beauty in the UK...as far as product development, we are constantly developing new things, but it takes us a very long time because we have again, these very...We've set the standard for ourselves high." [27:29]

3. Early Years, Breakthroughs, and Broadway

(30:37–39:14)

• Start in Acting

  • Began at age seven and a half; driven and determined despite initial rejection in favor of her brother.

    "That was my first big career rejection right there at age, what, seven?...what it confirmed was that it was something I really wanted to try." [32:47]

• Early Roles

  • Booked a Kitchenaid voiceover, Rob Reiner film, and gained traction from persistent auditioning.

• Transition to Leading Roles

  • Lost in Translation marks her leap into adult stardom at age 17.

    “I was 17 when I made Lost in Translation...it was transformative in many different ways.” [34:29]

• Navigating Young Fame

  • The emotional toll and loneliness of suddenly being treated as an adult.

    “I think just being that age is hard anyway. It's just a painful time...you're self involved...you're in an adult environment.” [35:12]

• Broadway Return

  • Deep fulfillment from stage work; A View from the Bridge with Liev Schreiber rekindled her passion.

    “It was thrilling. I was just so...I couldn't believe I was doing a play with Liev Schreiber...I admired [the Broadway community] for my entire life and feel that thrill of being on stage every night...” [37:03]

  • Liev Schreiber’s pivotal advice:

    "You're forgetting that everyone has come here...they want you to succeed. That's what they're hoping for...That was such a gift that he gave to me..." [39:14]

4. Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Black Widow Legacy

(40:28–45:48)

• Becoming Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow

  • Initial uncertainty about acceptance by Marvel fans; the franchise was just emerging.

    “I didn't know whether I would be accepted by...this massive fan base...I was certainly not expecting it. I was hoping for it, but not expecting it at all.” [41:02]

• Avengers Cast Camaraderie

  • Early MCU felt both risky and exciting:

    “We were on the set of Avengers going, this is either gonna be...amazing...or really awful...It's so crazy...this is a recipe for disaster...” [42:31]

• Evolution of Black Widow

  • Pride in the development of Natasha as a nuanced, fully realized heroine:

    "She has her own perceived flaws, and she's...struggles with...her own feeling of identity and belonging...That's why young women are attracted to her, because she's a real person..." [44:19]

• Fan Impact

  • The importance to young girls, seeing themselves in a strong, complex superhero character.

5. Recognition, Strategy, and Looking Ahead

(45:54–49:10)

• Dual Oscar Nominations (2019)

  • Scarlett reflects on the surreal feeling of being nominated for both Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit at a single Academy Awards.

    “To be nominated twice, it was like. Yeah, it felt like. I mean, it was hard to process, actually. I still have not processed it...” [47:06]

• Career Strategy

  • She acknowledges being strategic, intentionally choosing projects that keep her challenged and avoid repetition.

    “That's sort of exciting. Part of it is the strategy, the building...so that you're surprising yourself, you know, with...what you dedicate your time to. It's so hard to make a movie..." [47:51]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Filming an Anderson Movie during COVID:

  "We were very isolated in a town called Chinchón...This whole world was created on a watermelon farm...It was so unique. I've never experienced..." — Scarlett Johansson [06:18]

• On Motherhood on Set:

  "I got to bring my infant baby to the table and he could be held by Adrien Brody and Willem Dafoe and Bryan Cranston and everybody else." [12:37]

• On Skincare as Personal Mission:

  "Since I was probably 12, 13 years old, have struggled with acne...That's when my skin completely transformed." [21:21]

• On Black Widow’s Evolution:

  "I was able to work with my director and make...a character that was very fully formed. And I think that's why young women are attracted to her..." [44:26]

• On Liev Schreiber’s Broadway Advice:

  "You're forgetting that everyone...wants you to succeed. That's what they're hoping for. They want a night at the theater." [39:14]

• On the Challenge of Movie-Making:

  "Making a bad movie is just as hard as making a great movie. It doesn't get any easier or less." [48:06]

Important Timestamps

• 03:03–16:22 — Asteroid City, working with Wes Anderson, character prep, filming during pregnancy
• 17:49–29:16 — Building The Outset, skincare philosophy, startup grind, product development, Colin Jost anecdotes
• 30:37–39:14 — Early career, childhood ambitions, major breaks, Broadway renaissance
• 40:28–45:48 — Marvel journey, Black Widow legacy, Comic-Con, fan impact
• 45:54–49:10 — Oscar nominations, strategic choices, thoughts on sustaining a dynamic career

Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is light, introspective, and authentic, marked by Scarlett’s humor and humility. Both Geist and Johansson balance warmth and insight, exploring not only her celebrated film work but also the meaningful challenges and transformative experiences behind the fame. Her journey from child performer to Marvel icon, entrepreneur, and working mother is conveyed as a continual striving for creativity, authenticity, and connection.

For further insight and context, listen to the full episode of Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist, December 13, 2025.