"The Avengers" actress Scarlett Johansson recently opened up about the controversial gender pay gap existent in Hollywood. She said she was uncomfortable discussing the issue in itself and felt the discussion required a broader context.
While promoting her characters in "Captain America: Civil War" and "The Jungle Book" she expressed her views in an interview with Cosmopolitan. Johansson said the topic made her feel "icky" unless she expressed her opinion as part of a bigger discussion.
"I am very fortunate, I make a really good living, and I'm proud to be an actress who's making as much as many of my male peers at this stage," Johansson told the magazine. She added that owing to her status it was difficult to comment on pay inequality in the industry.
"For me to talk about my own personal experience with it feels a little obnoxious," she told the magazine. Johansson added the issue of pay inequality among women was part of a larger conversation. "It's about feminism in general," she said.
According to media reports, Johansson is among one of Hollywood's highest paid actors. It has been rumored that she is being paid $17.5million for her role in "Ghost In The Shell. Johansson 's comments are similar to those expressed by Jennifer Lawrence to media years ago.
Meanwhile, Johansson caught the attention of a humanoid obsessive fan who built a realistic robot which looks exactly the actress. A resident of Hong Kong, inventor Ricky Ma, 42, spent a year and more than $50,000 on the project. Ma is a graphic and product designer and calls the prototype Mark 1, Mirror reported.
The designer confirmed to the British publication that the lifelike humanoid had been modeled on Hollywood star Johansson. However, he said he wanted to keep her name a secret.
According to the publication, the humanoid responds to a set of verbal commands. The robot is also reported to have facial expressions. Ma's robot has blond hair and hazel colored eyes.
Ma told the publication he wants to publish a book about his experience. He feels it would be helpful to other enthusiasts.
While the initiative is a novelty, the World Economic Forum recently warned attendees of robots as being part of disruptive labor market changes. Media reports on the forum also hinted at the possibility of the loss of jobs in the future.
Watch the clip with Ma demonstrating commands by the robot: