Scarlett Johansson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Scarlett Johansson
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Johansson in 2025
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Scarlett Ingrid Johansson
November 22, 1984 New York City, U.S.
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| Years active | 1994–present |
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| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Ejner Johansson (grandfather) |
| Awards | Full list |
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Scarlett Ingrid Johansson (born November 22, 1984) is a famous American actress and singer. Her movies have earned over $15.1 billion worldwide, making her one of the highest-earning lead actors ever. She has won many awards, including a British Academy Film Award and a Tony Award. She has also been nominated for two Academy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards.
Johansson started acting on stage as a child. She made her first movie in 1994, a fantasy comedy called North. She became well-known for her roles in Manny & Lo (1996), The Horse Whisperer (1998), and Ghost World (2001). In 2003, she started playing more adult roles, like in Lost in Translation, for which she won a BAFTA Award. She also earned praise for her roles in Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003) and Match Point (2005). She also released music albums like Anywhere I Lay My Head (2008) and Break Up (2009).
In 2010, Johansson made her Broadway debut in A View from the Bridge, winning a Tony Award. That same year, she began playing Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Iron Man 2. She played this role in eight more movies, including her own solo film, Black Widow (2021), which made her a global star. She also starred in science fiction movies like Her (2013), Under the Skin (2013), and Lucy (2014). In 2019, she received two Academy Award nominations for her roles in Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit.
Scarlett Johansson was the world's highest-paid actress in 2018 and 2019. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2021 and 2025. She supports many charities and is a well-known brand endorser. She has two children and is married to comedian Colin Jost.
Contents
Early Life and Acting Dreams
Scarlett Ingrid Johansson was born in New York City on November 22, 1984. Her father, Karsten Olaf Johansson, is an architect from Denmark. Her mother, Melanie Sloan, worked as a producer. Scarlett has an older sister, Vanessa, who is also an actress, an older brother, Adrian, and a twin brother, Hunter. She also has an older half-brother, Christian. Scarlett has dual citizenship for both the United States and Denmark.
When she was young, Scarlett was very interested in acting. She would practice by looking in the mirror and trying to make herself cry, inspired by actress Judy Garland. At age seven, she was disappointed when a talent agent signed her brother instead of her. But she decided to become an actress anyway. She studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and later at the Professional Children's School in Manhattan.
Becoming a Star: Her Acting Journey
Early Roles and First Big Steps (1994–2002)
Scarlett Johansson got her first paid acting job at age nine on a TV show. Later that year, she made her movie debut in the fantasy comedy North (1994). She felt she knew exactly what to do on set. She then had smaller roles in movies like Just Cause (1995) and If Lucy Fell (1996).
Her first main role was in Manny & Lo (1996), where she played a younger sister who runs away from her foster home. Critics praised her performance, noting her "peaceful aura." She was even nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Female.
After a few more small parts, Johansson gained wider attention in The Horse Whisperer (1998), starring with director Robert Redford. She played an injured teenager who needs a horse trainer's help. Redford described her as "13 going on 30" because of her maturity. She was nominated for an award for this role.
Her breakthrough came in the black comedy Ghost World (2001), where she played a cynical outcast. Even though the movie didn't make a lot of money at first, it became a cult classic. Critics praised her "sensitivity and talent" for her age. After graduating from high school, she decided to focus on her film career.
Moving to Adult Roles (2003–2004)
In 2003, Johansson took on adult roles in two important films: Lost in Translation and Girl with a Pearl Earring. In Lost in Translation, she played a lonely young wife opposite Bill Murray. The director, Sofia Coppola, compared Johansson to a young Lauren Bacall. The movie was a big success and earned her a BAFTA Award for Best Actress.
In Girl with a Pearl Earring, she played a young servant in the 17th century. Critics loved her performance, especially how she showed deep emotions without many words. She was nominated for a BAFTA and Golden Globe for both films.
In 2004, Johansson had five movies released. She voiced Princess Mindy in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, which was her most successful film that year. She also starred in In Good Company, a comedy-drama that received positive reviews.
Working with Woody Allen and More (2005–2009)
In 2005, Johansson starred in Woody Allen's drama Match Point. She played an aspiring actress who starts an affair. Critics praised her powerful performance. The film was a box office hit and earned her Golden Globe and Chicago Film Critics Association nominations. She also starred in the science fiction film The Island with Ewan McGregor.
In 2006, she worked with Woody Allen again in Scoop, playing a journalism student. She also appeared in The Prestige, a mystery thriller about magicians, alongside Hugh Jackman. This film was a big success with critics and at the box office.
In 2008, Johansson starred in The Other Boleyn Girl with Natalie Portman. She also reunited with Woody Allen for the romantic comedy-drama Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which was filmed in Spain. This film was very popular and received good reviews.
Marvel Universe and Global Fame (2010–2013)
In 2010, Scarlett Johansson made her Broadway debut in A View from the Bridge, for which she won a Tony Award. That same year, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Black Widow in Iron Man 2. She trained hard for the role and admired the character's human qualities. The film was a huge success.
She played Black Widow again in The Avengers (2012), which broke many box office records. She also played actress Janet Leigh in Hitchcock, a film about the making of the movie Psycho.
In 2013, Johansson starred in the romantic comedy-drama Don Jon, where she played the girlfriend of the main character. Critics praised her performance. She also voiced Samantha, a computer operating system, in the film Her. Her voice performance was highly praised and won her a Best Actress award at the Rome International Film Festival.
She also starred in the science fiction film Under the Skin (2013), playing an alien disguised as a human. For this role, she learned to drive a van and speak with an English accent. Critics called it one of her best performances.
Blockbusters and Awards (2014–2020)
Johansson continued her role as Black Widow in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). The film was a big success. She also had a supporting role in the film Chef (2014).
In Luc Besson's science fiction action film Lucy (2014), Johansson played the main character who gains special abilities. The film earned $458 million and was one of the highest-grossing films of 2014.
She played Black Widow again in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and Captain America: Civil War (2016). Both films earned over $1.1 billion worldwide. In 2016, she voiced Kaa in Disney's live-action The Jungle Book and Ash in the animated musical comedy Sing.
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In 2017, Johansson starred in Ghost in the Shell, a film based on a popular Japanese series. She also hosted Saturday Night Live for the fifth time, joining a special group of hosts. Her next film was the comedy Rough Night. In 2018, she voiced Nutmeg in Isle of Dogs and played Black Widow in Avengers: Infinity War.
In 2019, Johansson reprised her role as Black Widow in Avengers: Endgame, which became the highest-grossing film of all time. She also starred in the Netflix film Marriage Story, playing a woman going through a divorce. Critics praised her "brilliantly textured" performance. She also played a mother sheltering a Jewish girl in Nazi Germany in the satire Jojo Rabbit. For these two roles, she received her first two Academy Award nominations, becoming one of the few actors to be nominated for two Oscars in the same year.
Recent Work and New Projects (2021–Present)
After a short break from the screen, Johansson returned as Black Widow in her own solo film, Black Widow (2021). She also worked as an executive producer on the film. Critics generally liked the movie and praised her performance. She also voiced Ash again in the sequel Sing 2 (2021).
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In 2023, Johansson starred in Wes Anderson's comedy Asteroid City, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. She also appeared in Kristin Scott Thomas's directorial debut North Star.
Scarlett Johansson founded her own production company, These Pictures. She produced and starred in Fly Me to the Moon (2024), a romantic comedy set during the Space Race. She also voiced Elita-1 in the animated film Transformers One. She is an executive producer on the upcoming MCU film Thunderbolts* and will star in the new Jurassic Park movie, Jurassic World Rebirth. She will also direct her first film, Eleanor the Great.
Music Career
In 2006, Scarlett Johansson sang the song "Summertime" for a charity album called Unexpected Dreams – Songs from the Stars. She also performed with the band The Jesus and Mary Chain at the Coachella music festival in 2007. In 2008, she appeared in Justin Timberlake's music video for "What Goes Around... Comes Around".
In May 2008, she released her first album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, which featured covers of Tom Waits songs. The album received mixed reviews but was praised by some critics as "surprisingly alluring" and "a brilliant album." It even made it onto the Billboard 200 chart.
In 2009, Johansson released a collaborative album called Break Up with singer-songwriter Pete Yorn. She also sang on the Steel Train album Terrible Thrills Vol. 1 in 2010 and contributed to the soundtracks for the documentary films Wretches & Jabberers (2011) and Chasing Ice (2012).
In 2015, Johansson formed a band called the Singles. In 2016, she performed songs for The Jungle Book soundtrack and the Sing: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. She collaborated with Pete Yorn again in 2018 for an EP called Apart.
Personal Life
Relationships and Family
Scarlett Johansson dated actor Josh Hartnett for about two years until 2006. She then began dating Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds in 2007. They got engaged in 2008 and married later that year. They separated in 2010 and divorced in 2011.
In 2012, Johansson started dating Romain Dauriac, who owned an advertising agency. They got engaged in 2013 and welcomed their daughter, Rose, in 2014. They married in October 2014 but separated in 2016 and finalized their divorce in 2017.
Johansson began dating Saturday Night Live writer and host Colin Jost in 2017. They got engaged in 2019 and married in October 2020. They had a son in August 2021. Johansson lives in both New York and Los Angeles.
Public Image and Charity Work
Scarlett Johansson has spoken out about how the media can promote unhealthy body images. She encourages people to maintain a healthy body.
She has supported many charitable organizations, including those that fight poverty and cancer. In 2005, she became a global ambassador for Oxfam, an aid organization. In 2007, she joined the ONE Campaign, which works to end poverty. In 2008, she helped raise money for Oxfam through an eBay auction.
In 2014, Johansson stepped down from her role with Oxfam due to a disagreement over her promotion of SodaStream, a company with a factory in a disputed territory. Oxfam thanked her for her contributions to fighting poverty. With her Avengers co-stars, she helped raise $500,000 for victims of Hurricane Maria.
In 2018, she joined 300 women in Hollywood to create the Time's Up initiative, which aims to protect women from harassment and discrimination. She also spoke at the 2018 Women's March in Los Angeles, discussing power imbalances.
Johansson supports Operation Warrior Wellness, which helps veterans learn Transcendental Meditation. Her grand-uncle, Phillip Schlamberg, was a pilot who died during World War II.
Political Involvement
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Scarlett Johansson has been involved in politics. She campaigned for Democratic candidate John Kerry in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. In 2008, she campaigned for Barack Obama, encouraging young people to vote. She also appeared in the music video for will.i.am's song "Yes We Can", which was inspired by Obama's speeches.
In 2012, she spoke at the Democratic National Convention, urging young voters to get involved and support Obama. She also encouraged women to vote. She supported Scott Stringer's campaign for New York City Comptroller in 2013.
In the 2016 presidential election, Johansson supported Hillary Clinton and appeared in a commercial to encourage voting. In 2017, she spoke at the 2017 Women's March on Washington, saying she would support the president if he worked for women's rights. During the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries, she endorsed Elizabeth Warren. In December 2020, she helped advocate for the release of three civil rights activists in Egypt. In 2024, she joined other actors in supporting Kamala Harris for president.
Acting Credits and Awards
Scarlett Johansson's films have earned over $14.5 billion worldwide. Some of her highest-grossing movies include Avengers: Endgame (2019), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), The Avengers (2012), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), The Jungle Book (2016), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Sing (2016), Iron Man 2 (2010), and Lucy (2014).
Throughout her career, Johansson has received many awards. She has won a BAFTA Award and a Tony Awards. She has also been nominated for two Academy Awards, seven Critics' Choice Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has recognized her for:
- 92nd Academy Awards (2019): Nominated for Best Actress for Marriage Story
- 92nd Academy Awards (2019): Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Jojo Rabbit
Images for kids
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Johansson on the set of Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2007
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See also
In Spanish: Scarlett Johansson para niños
