Scarlett Johansson is glad she expressed her excitement about being in a Jurassic World movie instead of “playing it cool”.

The Avengers actress had been trying to get into a Jurassic movie for many years, so she couldn’t believe her luck when the next Jurassic film began casting for a female lead her age, with the planned filming dates fitting perfectly into her schedule.

She pitched herself to franchise creator Steven Spielberg and made it clear how much she wanted to play covert operations expert Zora Bennett in the next movie, Jurassic World: Rebirth.

“I had a meeting with him and I don’t actually know if he knew the depths of my Jurassic fandom, but I’m hoping that no one explained it to him too thoroughly because it maybe would’ve come off as being a little too much,” Johansson explained to The Hollywood Reporter. “Although knowing Steven now, he was excited when I shared with how much it would mean to me to play any part in Jurassic. I could’ve played it cooler and maybe I wouldn’t have gotten it.”

She added, “(The experience) taught me that if you are enthusiastic about a project, it is actually good to share your enthusiasm. You don’t have to dumb it down or play it cool.”

Johansson noted that she was “so stoked” that everything aligned for her to be in a Jurassic movie – but she couldn’t get too excited as she had to focus on filming her feature directorial debut Eleanor the Great first.

“I had to compartmentalise my nervous excitement for the job in front of me while also focusing on making it work,” she added. “I would have these really geeked out, fangirl moments and then be, like, ‘OK, put that away for a second.'”

Eleanor the Great premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last month.

Jurassic World: Rebirth, directed by Gareth Edwards, will be released in cinemas on 2 July.

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