If Joaquin Phoenix’s turn in 2013’s Her as a man smitten by his virtual assistant teaches anything, it’s this: the only thing more fearsome than a haunted Alexa is a horny one. According to Scarlett Johansson (who voiced Samantha, the AI who Phoenix’s character Theodore falls in love with), filming a simulated sex scene between the odd duo was “so gross” that Phoenix fled the set.
During a conversation with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman’s “Armchair Expert” podcast, Johansson recalls Phoenix struggling to keep it together after an initial take of the scene, which involves Samantha virtually orgasming while Theodore has intercourse with a sex surrogate. It’s an uncomfortable scene to watch—and apparently, even more uncomfortable to shoot.
“We tried to get through one take, and he was, like, losing it,” Johansson says of her co-star. “He left the studio. He needed a break.”
Phoenix’s discomfort proved more than worthwhile— in 2013, Her won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and was nominated for Best Picture. Directed by Spike Jonze, the film ranks easily among Phoenix’s best performances, despite the apparently discomforting cost of filming.
Although the virtual tryst clearly marked a trying time for Phoenix, Johansson didn’t much care for hearing her own fake climax either (a bad sign for anyone dreaming of a ScarJo-led When Harry Met Sally reboot.)
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“You don’t want to hear your voice ever,” she says. “You definitely don’t want to hear what you sound like having an orgasm. You definitely don’t want to hear what you sound like having a fake orgasm — ew.”
“It’s so gross,” Johansson shudders. “It was so bizarre.” Gross and bizarre— now that’s romance!