Scarlett Johansson's career has evolved like many of the A-list actresses of the Golden Age of Hollywood. After breaking out in The Horse Whisperer at the age of 14 before soaring to new heights in Lost in Translation and then going on to appear in The Perfect Score, A Good Woman, Match Point, The Black Dahlia, The Prestige, and The Other Boleyn Girl, Johansson is wise beyond her years. Early in her career it seemed like Scarlett might have been just another pretty face, but it was her ability to handle sophisticated material that set her apart from the pack of hundreds of blonde starlets that make up today's current crop of female actresses.

For her latest role, Johansson reteams with director Woody Allen for a third time, this time in Vicky Cristina Barcelona to play a young girl in Spain who falls for a handsome painter played by Javier Bardem unaware that his ex-wife is back in his life. At the film's recent press junket, Johansson dished the dirt on working with Woody Allen, handling steamy scenes with Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, and what it was like to work with Frank Miller while working on the upcoming thriller The Spirit.

What was it like working with the kids.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON: You know what, those kids were amazing. I met all of them before and talked to them, and each one of them individually had-- I mean I was amazed. I came home and I couldn't stop talking about these kids. They were incredible, some of the things they were doing were amazing. I mean the kid that I gave the award to was amazing, you know. Here you have an African American kid in North Carolina fighting the tobacco company, it's like, what? Just incredible, no but it was a cool category, and those people from the Do Something, that, they were so wonderful. It was great.

Woody Allen does create these really extraordinary female characters which you've played several now. What do you think sets your character in this movie apart from the predecessors?

JOHANSSON: Well, I mean, they're all such different characters. I don't know. It's a difficult question to answer because I mean everything about her I think-- other than her blonde hair, you know, I'd be hard to find some comparison between her and the character I played in Scoop, you know. I mean it's such a ridiculous (laughs) character that I played in that film, but I think that it, you know, part of, you know, the best thing about working with Woody, other than just getting to spend every day, you know, chatting with him and bothering him and poking him and stuff like that...[laughs]

Poking him?

JOHANSSON: Sure why not? Got to make sure he's still like awake. [laughs] But he, you know, is-- that he writes such fantastic female roles, and reading the script, the most exciting part about reading the script is getting to see, you know, what are we all, you know, meaning, you know, Penelope or I or whatever other women are in the part in the film, you know, what are we going to be doing next? And he has such an appreciation and understanding for the intricacies of the female mind, you know, in-- I mean such an appreciation. I think he would say that we're a superior species or something, you know, he really, he loves women the way we think, and it's always some inspired character.

Do you identify with her?

JOHANSSON: I think that I can identify with certain aspects of her philosophy, you know, her sort of seize-the-day attitude and her willingness to let life kind of happen in front of her, and just, you know, take a chance and live, live, live, that kind of attitude. I think that's - I do, I can certainly appreciate that part of her philosophy but we're different, we have our differences as well.

How much ad-libbing did you do on this? It seems like there was a lot of ad-libbing going on, according to Rebecca and Chris.

JOHANSSON: You know, it's hard to remember. I usually stick to the script but I think probably for Chris and Rebecca, it's, you know, it's so unusual to work with a writer-director that isn't completely precious, married to their dialogue, that I remember Rebecca just being like - so Woody would say, "I don't know, just, you know, make it your own or whatever." And I remember Rebecca just being like, "What do you mean, make it our own? [laughs] You know, does he mean that?' And every single actor that worked on this, like, before our first day, came up to me and they said, "How married to the dialogue is he? [laughs] I mean, is he precious about it?" And especially Penelope and Javier, I think they were a little worried about it because it's so nuanced. And I said, "No, you'll see." I felt like the old shoe, you know, but it's, you know, he really - of course you keep the idea and it's not - his writing's so brilliant, there's not much that you want to, you know, you want to keep it.

But Woody had even said that he didn't even know what Javier and Penelope were saying until it was translated way back when he was, like, making the movie. So in those scenes where they're having those arguments, and your character's there, we're supposed to really not know what they're saying. Did they ever tell you what they were saying?

JOHANSSON: Not really, no. I mean I didn't really want to know [laughs]. I could understand a couple of the words they were saying and I was like, "Ooooo, that sounds bad" [laughs] but it was not really that important. I think certainly my character was kind of in a similar situation as I was, which is, like, kind of pick up a couple words, but it's just, like, that's part of her. I think part of the problem is she just feels like out of the - she always feels a little bit out of the loop. It's like one minute she's really coddled, and then she's kind of forgotten about, and she can't figure out how to balance it all, I think. It doesn't feel, like, harmonious to her, and I think in the end that's kind of what makes her... love the summer, "I love you both," and it's, I don't know, it doesn't feel right, like it's not working for me, you know?

I'm intrigued by your relationship with Woody Allen in the sense of coming in and sort of rescuing him on Match Point, because somebody else dropped out, Kate Winslet. And ever since then, people like us have referred to your relationship - you're his new muse. Are you comfortable with that idea, and how do you perceive your relationship with him that seems to inspire him in a series of films?

JOHANSSON: Every single junket that we've done so far, we always get the muse thing and when we always say, "No, it's not that way, it's not that way," and I don't think it is that way, I think I'm fortunate enough to fit in to the young girl part of the story, the young woman you know, just the same as Judy Davis would fit in to a certain part, or Dianne Weist would fit into a certain part. I think Woody as well as I, both of us appreciate how wonderful it is to work with your friends, and it's fun and we always have a great time when we do it. We entertain each other, and we understand each other and we poke each other. [laughs]

So it's more that now you're part of his rep company, is that how you perceive it?

JOHANSSON: I think that might be more accurate, yeah. I think that's more accurate. I don't think that Woody sits at home, you know, with like a thing of Lo Mein, and a typewriter thinking like, "What is Scarlett doing now [laughs] and how can I, you know, how can her life sort of inspire this tale?' And I know certainly not.

But he said at the press conference that he felt you were an actor because you could do anything, I mean he was very, very high on your acting. Are you surprised that he has begun to perceive you in that way and that you've seemed to have grown and evolved ever since you started working with him?

JOHANSSON: I mean after the monthly payments, I'm not surprised that he would say that. I'm just, you know, [laughs] write him a check and now I am - you know what, of course I'm always, I'm surprised, I'm always surprised how fortunate I've been. I can never quite understand what's happening [laughs] and I always just feel lucky to be employed, and so for me it's such a high compliment for him to see me in any role or that he can imagine me doing anything. I mean, as an actor, that's the best compliment. You know, that you don't get pigeonholed into some type and you can sort of seamlessly be - sort of manipulate yourself into these different roles and different time periods and different characters and that's what you hope that the audience - that's how you hope they feel as well. It doesn't always work out that way but it's certainly nice for somebody like Woody who I've always admired and always aspired to work with, you know. To finally have worked with him now three times, and it's really been a dream come true for me, and as an actor there's no higher compliment, certainly.

This gal-pal dynamic of women who go on vacation together, they're pals, and often - have you ever found that you've gone on a trip with a female pal who just wants to do the total opposite of what you do? And how do you handle that when a real good friend is like - you're interested in men, or interested in anything - is totally opposite.

JOHANSSON: I mean, I don't know, you know. It's funny, because obviously I'm lucky I have a couple of really good very close girlfriends, and yeah, I mean our interests are similar, obviously, which is why we're friends. We have similar things that we appreciate and stuff like that, they're not actors and stuff like that, but we appreciate we have a certain aesthetic, or things we like to do and - but always with when it comes to men, you're going to differ from another woman [laughs], right? What she likes, and what she's into and how you feel about her boyfriend and you know, how she feels about your boyfriend and all of that stuff. So I try not to, you know, that kind of thing of course it's great to be able to be close with a girl that you could both talk about these things, and get some relief, and another woman's perspective and all of that.

But I've never been in such a specific situation where I was on a vacation, and, like, one girl wanted to go guy crazy [laughs] and I was like left in the hotel, you know [laughs]. I mean I never, fortunately, been stuck in that kind of position, because I think with most of my girlfriends, we're pretty solid, you know. We go away together because we want to see each other, you know? [laughs] But I think in this particular circumstance, in the film, I mean the two characters are - they're in different places in their lives, you know, they're very close friends, but perhaps they realized the summer that, you know, they kind of branch out. The one character is engaged to be married and she's kind of taken a more conservative route, and maybe she wasn't quite like that in college, or something. And my character's still wandering and aimless and has not quite figured out what she wants and friends grow apart. And I think that for this summer certainly they do, they're different, they're different, and they're probably different when they come home, you know?

Can you talk about how it was working with such a steamy scene with Penelope and Javier? [laughs]

JOHANSSON: Well, it's funny because people are so conservative. I mean it's amazing, they really are, and I think that it's such a - when you see the film it's so, I don't know, these characters fall in love and that's what people that fall in love are intimate. And also when you're shooting, it's so, like, horribly unsexy: there's like 60 grown men eating salami sandwiches, kind of waiting and, you know, get up and watch the game or whatever. And you just think, "God, are we rolling?" because there's, like, trays of food being passed, "Oh, we are rolling, okay [laughs]." You know, nobody cares when you're doing it, of course. It's like your day at work and this is part of the story and then of course you know people get wind and they get excited because they associate, like, two women who wear, you know, gowns at an award show and like gosh, the possibilities, you know? [laughs] But you know, it's ridiculous. Of course I go home at the end of the day and I prepare for the next day. It's not like I sat at home...

Woody made a big joke about that yesterday at the press conference and said that he would just allow you guys, you and Javier, you know, "We'll just kiss and kiss and kiss and then, when it was done, that would be the end of it, and..."

JOHANSSON: Of course, that's how it always is, but you guys know that, I mean...

But it is very erotic, on the screen...

JOHANSSON: Which is great...

...it's more erotic than most Woody Allen lovemaking scenes.

JOHANSSON: Maybe...

And it's still PG-13, so he's pulled off something really intricate without showing anything. He suggested everything.

JOHANSSON: I think there's a lot of chemistry between the characters and all of us as actors, and that's where the steaminess comes from, because it's not really explicit. I mean people kissing - and you even said by the rating, I mean nothing is, like crazy about it, but it, you know because there's such a chemistry between the characters and you're really invested in them and it's such a turn, it's like, "Whoa, wait a minute," like I thought that this wasn't going to work out but it's seemingly - and even my character's kind of surprised by it herself.

The press reports at the beginning were saying that all the stuff about the threesome - and it is going to be Woody Allen's hottest movie, and all of that. And now as you see it, it's obviously a lot tamer than press reports. Did you read any of that stuff? Did you find it amusing when you were reading about it?

JOHANSSON: I don't know, I mean, when you're working you're so isolated that I never even opened the newspaper, you know. You're so tired, you come home, you're exhausted. I never, like, research what the world thinks about the film but it's funny because it's not like it's - I mean it's Woody, the idea of, like Woody Allen's steamiest film is so ridiculous to me [laughs]. It's not like it's Bertolucci or something. I mean it's, you know, it's like, I don't know, he's so conservative with that kind of thing. He's always - it is sweet, and I think he's quite respectful of the relationship.

I wanted to ask you about Lost In Translation for a split second. Recently on the internet, there's been like a YouTube clip which kind of elevates the dialogue between you and Bill Murray at the end of the film where there's actually words. I wanted to know if you've seen this, and if also, when you guys were filming, if he actually said a line to you at that moment in filming? And if that might be accurate what's on line?

JOHANSSON: I don't know. I didn't even know that, but I'm sure that it's not because we weren't mic'd. I mean, we had a boom operator and I think that once the boom is like - when we're intimate, if it's - there's no audible and maybe we're like mumbling or something but I don't know how that could be, you know, elevated. I don't know what it is, you'd have to tell me what the...

He's talking about what he whispers in your ear.

JOHANSSON: Yeah, I know what he whispers in my ear but I don't know what the...

The line online is like, "Even though we can't be together right now, know I'll love you forever," or something like that.

JOHANSSON: That's nice [laughs]. You know, honestly, nothing was written so - and we did the scene so many times I really couldn't tell you what was said, but I think that - I don't know, it probably goes along with everybody's like - it's unfortunate because people - they can't appreciate the filmmakers decision to not have that be audible. They can't appreciate what that means, there's a poetry in that, obviously, and people are so, I think, obsessed with discovering the secret of everything and, you know, and uncovering the code. And it's sad, it's sad.

It was like that on purpose, wasn't it?

JOHANSSON: I mean you really would have to ask Sofia about this. It's more her, you know. I'm just an actor for hire, so...

Your character in this movie sometimes got lost and doesn't know what she wants. Have you been like that in your life, like sometimes you don't know what you want and you got lost?

JOHANSSON: Sure, I mean, I'm only human, you know. People are, I think everyone has times when they struggle with where to go now from here and I've been fortunate enough always to know what I wanted to do, what I was passionate about, and I never had to struggle with that. But, you know, in the world of that, even in itself there's all kinds of questions. You have to ask where do I go from here? And of course personal times when I felt that way, you know?

Can you talk about Frank Miller, working with Frank Miller on The Spirit?

JOHANSSON: Sure. What about it? [laughs]

How much can you divulge? What was it like working with Frank, and also dealing with all of the green screens that you obviously had to do on that?

JOHANSSON: Frank, I loved working with Frank. He's wonderful, he's such a visionary, and so he's just fantastic. He would come on set and almost lead the whole crew into some kind of - like this presentation of, like he would draw the storyboard and kind of lead us. I mean he sees it, he can see how he wants it to - he's a visionary, he really is. And it was exciting, I mean it's very exciting to do that, because everybody disperses. We all know what we're going to do, and he's so excited about the characters, you know, that's obviously his thing, right? He creates these fantastic characters and some of them are so rotten, they're just so rotten, and none of his characters are so gray. You know, it's like none of us are heroes, they're all kind of gray, you know? And I love that.

Are you rotten in that?

JOHANSSON: You're just going to have to see [laughs]. You're just going to have to see, but it was such a wonderful time and actually working with the green screen was really interesting because we're shooting these huge - I don't know what. They must have been like an airplane hangar or something, and converted with all this green screen. But then Sam and I, our sets were really like, we had a lot of props and we had our whole set right here. So it was almost like a theater in a way, and the camera would be like way back there or, like, overhead, or some crazy angle. And so the performances I think are really theatrical, which is great because it's - obviously the film is a fantasy film and even when we were doing some of the post production, like sound, when he was doing some of the sound editing, it was like we're so loud, because we're in this huge room. We have to fill this huge room and of course Sam is so loud and the two of us were just so enthusiastic about the whole thing that Frank - I actually had to bring the volume of the performance down [laughs] a little bit and make it like a little bit more intimate. It was a lot of fun. We had a really good time on it.