Before Scarlett Johansson became synonymous with blockbuster films and lent her voice to Spike Jonze’s Her, she was a young actress with a unique presence that felt somewhat out of sync with her age. This captivating quality was evident in her breakout indie film, Manny & Lo, released in 1996. Directed by Lisa Krueger, the film features Johansson as Amanda (nicknamed Manny), a runaway living with her pregnant teenage sister in empty model homes. While it may not aim for grandeur, this offbeat story caught the attention of Sofia Coppola.
According to Vanity Fair, it was Manny & Lo that first put Johansson on Coppola’s radar. There was no dramatic casting moment; Coppola remarked, “She always seemed confident about directing — since I met her, when she was 17.”
This initial connection ultimately led to Lost in Translation, where Johansson, at 17, played Charlotte, a recent college graduate experiencing a sense of alienation in a Tokyo hotel. The role required a subtlety that demanded an actress who could convey depth through minimal action. Coppola wasn’t looking for a show-stealer; she needed someone who could simply exist on-screen—thoughtful, observant, and understated. Johansson embodied these qualities naturally.
In Manny & Lo, there’s no foreshadowing of the stellar career ahead or a polished sheen; it’s low-key and sometimes awkward. Yet Johansson commands attention effortlessly, possessing an innate magnetism that held the camera’s gaze without effort. That was the quality that resonated with Sofia Coppola.
When Lost in Translation was finally in the works, Coppola reached out to Johansson. The film went on to become a modern classic, but its roots trace back to that relatively obscure indie flick.
What’s remarkable is how Coppola’s instincts proved prescient. Johansson’s performance in Lost in Translation is marked by restraint. Rather than delivering grand monologues, she observes, allowing the bustling sounds of Tokyo to fill the void around her. This works because we trust her—and that quiet strength Coppola noticed in Manny & Lo remained.
Today, Johansson reflects on that chapter with a mix of pride and resolve. After Lost in Translation, many roles offered to her were limited to “the girlfriend,” or “the other woman,” often depicted as a sex object. “I couldn’t break free from that cycle,” she confided to Vanity Fair. It took years before she could reshape her identity in Hollywood.
Though many viewers may not have seen Manny & Lo, its significance is profound. It doesn’t feature on major best-of lists or retrospectives, yet for Sofia Coppola, it was enough to inspire a film and take a chance on a young actress still finding her footing.
Not every career begins with a bang. Sometimes, the journey is marked by a quiet revelation, an unusual voice, and an understated performance that evolves into something remarkable.
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