Scarlett Johansson draws inspiration from Robert Redford for directorial debut

Scarlett Johansson is expressing gratitude to Robert Redford as she attempts to draw inspiration from his directing style.

During an exclusive interview with Deadline, the Avengers actress recalled Redford's ‘actor-focused’ approach on the set of his 1998 film The Horse Whisperer, 30 years after its release.

The 40-year-old told the outlet, "He was so patient and would take the time to familiarise me with where my character was at that moment, what happened, where I was coming from in the story. He would tell me the story, the whole story, all the way up until that point. It was so helpful.

"It was so insightful, too, because I was also a young actor. I was working on a big film, and a lot was going on, and he would take the time."

Johansson explained how Jon Favreau's advice on the set of Iron Man 2 helped her directing style as she learned to customize her approach for each project.

In addition, she credited her years of performance experience with enabling her to direct certain scripts effectively.

For the unversed, the actress is currently gearing up for her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great, which is slated to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20.