Scarlett Johansson has reflected on a history of controversies, saying she’s “made a career out of it”.

The actress, who attracted backlash over whitewashing for her role in Ghost in the Shell and her decision to play a transgender character, commented on the incidents that have marked her career.

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“I’m going to have opinions about things, because that’s just who I am,” Johansson told The Gentlewoman in a new interview.

She continued: “I mean, everyone has a hard time admitting when they’re wrong about stuff, and for all of that to come out publicly, it can be embarrassing.

“To have the experience of, Wow, I was really off mark there, or I wasn’t looking at the big picture, or I was inconsiderate. I’m also a person.”

The actress went on to say she is now aiming to “[recognise] when it’s not your turn to speak”. She explained: “I can be reactive. I can be impatient. That doesn’t mix that great with self-awareness.”

On the public role many actors are considered to have, Johansson said: “Some people want to, but the idea that you’re obligated to because you’re in the public eye is unfair. You didn’t choose to be a politician, you’re an actor.

“Your job is to reflect our experience to ourselves; your job is to be a mirror for an audience, to be able to have an empathetic experience through art. That is what your job is.”

Scarlett Johansson will next be playing the title role in Marvel’s Black Widow, due for release on July 9 on Disney+ and in cinemas.