Samantha Morton has admitted she felt "sad" and "hurt" after being fired from a major film a decade ago. The 49-year-old British actress, currently starring in The Odyssey, was initially cast in the 2013 sci-fi film Her, but was later replaced by Scarlett Johansson.
Role Recast
Morton had recorded the part of Samantha, an artificial intelligence operating system, for Spike Jonze's film. However, the director decided to re-cast the role during post-production. Johansson was brought in to re-record the dialogue, a decision that left Morton surprised and disappointed.
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Morton said: "I have to say that it's every director's prerogative in regard to the final cut of the film. For any job, you're never guaranteed to be in it in the end. But with that, I was surprised. A little sad would be an understatement."
Wishing for Another Take
Morton acknowledged Johansson's "beautiful voice" and described her as "incredibly evocative," but expressed a wish to have had another opportunity to record the part in an American accent. "What I would have wished for was another chance in a booth to do an American accent. But Scarlett Johansson - I mean, come on," she said.
Reflecting on her time on set with Joaquin Phoenix, Morton recalled it as "really special." She mentioned that they "did some mad stuff," including building a booth for her to record sound, sometimes in a black padded phone box or in the trunk of a car. Morton concluded that her version of Samantha was "very different" and "English."
About 'Her'
The film, which explores themes of love in a near-future setting, follows Theodore Twombly (Phoenix) as he develops a relationship with an AI operating system voiced by Johansson. The cast also includes Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Chris Pratt, Bill Hader, and Kristen Wiig.
