Scarlett Johansson was born on November 22, 1984 in New York City. Her mother, Melanie Sloan, is a film producer while her father, Karsten Johansson, is an architect. Johansson has an older sister named Vanessa, who also acts, and an older brother Adrian.
Johansson became interested in acting at a young age, and began auditioning for commercials as a child. Her first famous role was an off-Broadway play called Sophistry alongside Ethan Hawke. Soon after, she made her film debut at 10 years old in the fantasy comedy North (1994).
| Year | Early Acting Roles |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Film debut in North |
| 1998 | The Horse Whisperer |
| 2001 | Academy Award nominated role in Ghost World |
Johansson continued acting in both film and theater as a teenager. She remained a student at a Manhattan high school while on film sets.
Breakthrough and Rise to Stardom
2001 marked a breakthrough in Johansson’s career. At age 17, she received praise and a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards for her role in Ghost World. That same year, she made a splash with a controversial role in The Man Who Wasn’t There.
Her fame rose further playing Griet in Girl with a Pearl Earring in 2003 alongside Colin Firth. She also landed roles in blockbuster thrillers like The Island (2005). By the mid-2000s, Scarlett Johansson had achieved A-list celebrity status.
| Year | Major Acting Roles | Notable Achievements |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Lost in Translation | BAFTA Award for Best Actress |
| 2004 | A Love Song for Bobby Long | Golden Globe nomination |
| 2005 | Match Point | Variant Film Critics Award |
In 2003, Scarlett starred alongside Bill Murray in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. Her praised performance won Best Actress from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). In 2006, she was cast as femme fatale Sondra Pransky in Brian De Palma’s The Black Dahlia.
Continued Success in Film
Johansson continued balancing roles in big-budget action movies as well as thoughtful dramas throughout the late 2000s. She reunited with actor Josh Hartnett to play Mary Boleyn in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and also took on the role of silent film actress Janet Leigh in Hitchcock
(2012).| 2010 | Starred as Black Widow in Iron Man 2 |
| 2012 | Vicky Cristina Barcelona earned her a Spanish film award |
| 2013 | Portrayed an alien in sci-fi film Under the Skin |
| 2016 | Vocal performance in hit film Sing |
Notably, Johansson took on the role of Black Widow in several Marvel Comics films like Iron Man 2 in 2010. Her character was hugely popular with fans and Johansson has played Black Widow in a total of 6 Marvel Universe films so far.
Stage and Other Roles
Amid her flourishing career in cinema, Johansson has continued returning to her theater roots. In 2010 she won a Tony Award for her Broadway role in A View from the Bridge. Johansson also tried her hand behind the scenes, directing the 2013 film These Final Hours. She has worked as brand spokesperson for world-renowned companies like Calvin Klein and Louis Vuitton. Most recently in 2020, Johansson was named global ambassador for L’Oreal Paris.
| Year | Selected Other Projects |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Featured singer on charity album Song for the Sun |
| 2009 | Appeared in The Jungle Book musical video |
| 2010 | Named Hollywood’s highest-grossing actress by Forbes |
In addition to her ongoing acting career, Johansson has explored various musical ventures, appearing on albums in 2008 and 2009 and acting roles in music videos. Her sultry voice has been quite celebrated. She counts legendary Jazz singer Dean Martin among her biggest vocal influences.
Personal Life
Scarlett Johansson has been married twice. From 2008 to 2011, she was married to Ryan Reynolds. She later married French journalist Romain Dauriac in 2014 and they had a daughter named Rose Dorothy in that same year. Scarlett and Romain divorced in 2017.
In 2017, Johansson began a relationship with Saturday Night Live member Colin Jost. The couple got engaged in 2019 and were married in 2020.
Though acting runs in the family – Scarlett’s grandmother was also a screenwriter – Johansson has said becoming an actor was not something pushed upon her as a child. As a dual citizen holding both American and Danish passports, she splits her time living in New York City and Paris.
Acting Style and Legacy
With her golden blonde locks and raspy voice, Scarlett Johansson has cultivated a unique sex-symbol screen presence. She is most associated with roles in sexy, mysterious or brooding films – ones that exhibit her physical appeal as well as her acting chops.
Johansson has shown her ability to carry films both big and small in terms of production budgets and fame. Blockbusters like The Avengers depend on her just as more intimate indie films like Under the Skin. She has also taken risks on eccentric roles many mainstream actresses may not, like an alien femme fatale preying on humans in Scotland. Critics have praised her willingness to push creative boundaries in her work.
In over 3 decades of acting, Scarlett Johansson has thrived in Hollywood on her own terms. She focuses on passion projects between blockbuster movies that earn her top-dollar. Johansson has no reservations about filming extended nude scenes or searing material other actresses shy away from either. As she enters the next phase of her career, Johansson remains committed to fearless acting choices above all else.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Scarlett Johansson has achieved extraordinary success in the entertainment industry from a remarkably early age. With just one minor film role under 10 years old, she took Hollywood by storm shortly after in critically acclaimed dramas. Johansson smoothly transitioned to headlining blockbuster action movies in her 20s without losing momentum.
What makes Scarlett Johansson such a tour de force is her fearlessness in tackling challenging roles many A-list actresses shy away from. She brings authenticity and creative audacity to every part she takes on. Directors praise her professionalism on set and willingness to dig deep in emotionally or sexually vulnerable scenes.
Looking ahead, Johansson shows no signs of slowing down. She just wrapped up filming on the long-awaited Black Widow origins flick from Marvel. With at least 3 other films in active production, Johansson remains committed to her first passion – acting. Fans hope one day her risky and intense acting talents finally earn her an Oscar. But for Scarlett Johansson just following her creative instincts and satiating her wanderlust desires are victories enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who influenced Scarlett Johansson to get into acting?
When her older sister started auditioning for commercials as a child, Scarlett Johansson got jealous and wanted to also pursue acting. Her parents supported her passion from a very early age. Scarlett remains very close to her twin brother and sister still working in showbiz.
What was Scarlett Johansson’s first major award?
A 17-year old Scarlett Johansson burst onto the critical film scene winning Best Actress awards from the Toronto Film Critics Association and Chicago Film Critics Association. This was for her 2001 role alongside Thora Birch in Terry Zwigoff’s Ghost World.
Which films earned Scarlett Johansson Oscar nominations?
To date, Scarlett Johansson has been nominated twice for Academy Awards in the Best Actress categories. Her nominations came from Lost in Translation (2003) and Marriage Story (2019). Many critics believe Johansson remains overdue for an Oscar based on her over 30-year acting career.
How much has Scarlett Johansson’s Marvel films grossed?
As one of the top-billed Avengers stars playing Black Widow, Johansson has appeared in a total of 6 Marvel Universe films since 2010. Collectively, these films have grossed well over $7 billion in box offices sales worldwide. Black Widow is also getting her own standalone action movie in 2021 starring Scarlett Johansson.
What makes Scarlett Johansson’s voice so recognizable?
Johansson has one of the most distinctive raspy voices in Hollywood today. She often jokingly credits years of smoking cigarettes for giving her trademark husky vocals. Critics regularly praise her versatile vocal talents including musical theater singing, comedy song routines, and concept album songwriting.