Scarlett Johansson (born November 22, 1984, in New York City, New York, United States) is an American actress and singer whose versatility has garnered her praise in a wide range of genres, from period drama to thriller and action-adventure.
Johansson grew up in New York City, the daughter of an architect and a producer. Hunter, her twin brother, and she were the youngest of four siblings. She became interested in performing at a young age, auditioning for commercials before the age of seven.
Childhood
Johansson trained to act like a child at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. Scarlett Ingrid Johansson was born on November 22, 1984, in New York City’s Manhattan borough. Karsten Olaf Johansson, her father, is a Danish architect who was born in Copenhagen. Her paternal grandfather, Ejner Johansson, was a Swedish art historian, screenwriter, and film director.
Her mother, Melanie Sloan, is a producer from New York; she hails from an Ashkenazi Jewish family from Poland and Russia, initially surnamed Schlamberg, and Johansson describes herself as Jewish. Vanessa, her older sister, is also an actor; Adrian, her older brother; and Hunter, her twin brother.
Her father’s first marriage resulted in an older half-brother, Christian. Johansson is a dual citizen of the United States and Denmark. On a 2017 episode of PBS’s Finding Your Roots, she discovered that her maternal great-family grandfather’s perished during the Holocaust in the Warsaw Ghetto.
Career
Johansson made her cinematic debut as John Ritter’s daughter in the fantasy comedy North when she was nine years old (1994). She claims that while on the scene, she intuitively understood what to do. Later, she played the daughter of Sean Connery and Kate Capshaw‘s characters in the mystery thriller Just Cause (1995) and an art student in If Lucy Fell (1996).
In Manny & Lo (1996), Johansson played Amanda, the younger sister of a pregnant teenager who runs away from her foster family, opposite Aleksa Palladino and Hunter.
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“[The film] grows on you, largely because of the charm of… Scarlett Johansson,” wrote one critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, while critic Mick LaSalle, writing for the same paper, commented on her “peaceful aura,” and believed, “If she can get through puberty with that aura undisturbed, she could become an important actress.” For the role, Johansson was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Female.
Roots
Scarlett Johansson was born on November 22, 1984, in Manhattan, New York (so that’s where she gets her innate cool from), although her father was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her family has Swedish ancestors as well, and her mother is Jewish.
Extending
Johansson is a dual citizen of the United States and Denmark.
Arriving Late to the Party
Phil Schlamberg is linked to Johansson; she is his great-niece. But who exactly is Phil Schlamberg, you ask? Schlamberg was the last person killed in action during World War II.
Siblings
Scarlett Johansson is a twin, and she and her brother Hunter bear a striking likeness. Vanessa (also an actress) and Adrian are the couple’s two oldest siblings.
BFFs
Johansson’s parents divorced when she was 13 years old, and she got very close to her grandmother, whom she refers to as her best friend.
A Masterpiece
Johansson was bitten by the acting bug at a young age, and she would frequently perform song and dance routines for her family. Judy Garland‘s legendary, multi-talented performance in Meet Me in St. Louis really inspired her.
DIY Acting Lessons
Johansson was always serious about acting, and as a child, she would make herself cry in front of a mirror. That’s some commitment right there.
Rejected
Despite her commitment, Johansson became accustomed to rejection. When she was seven, she was devastated to learn that a talent agent had signed her twin brother but not her. Later, in 2003, she applied to New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts but was again turned down.
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Both times, Johansson persevered and did not give up on her dream of being an actor.
Debut
Johansson began her career in commercials and theatre before making her film debut with John Ritter in 1994’s North, in which she played his daughter. Her first leading role was as a pregnant adolescent in Manny & Lo in 1996.
Amusing Beginnings
Johansson’s breakthrough role was in the 2001 cult classic Ghost World, in which she co-starred with Thora Birch. The film was fashioned from Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel—and it would prove to be a foreshadowing of Marvelous things to come for the actress (I’m so sorry).
Bacall and Bogie
When Sofia Coppola cast Johansson in Lost in Translation as a lonely foreigner in Japan, she felt Johansson resembled (in looks and spirit) a young Lauren Bacall; the director had actually modeled Lost in Translation on Bacall and Humphrey Bogart’s relationship in The Big Sleep.
Growing Older
When Johansson filmed Lost in Translation, she was only 18 years old, and many critics applauded her for her ability to appear older as well as her “embracing, calm serenity.”
Tryouts for Superheroes
Before The Widow, Johansson tested out for the role of Sue Storm in Fantastic Four, which eventually went to Jessica Alba, and she was also offered the role of Keri Russell in Mission: Impossible III, which went to Keri Russell.
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No offense to Alba, but considering the Fantastic Four property’s box office toxicity, I’m sure Johansson believes she got lucky on that one.
True Romance
Power Couple
People magazine dubbed her then-husband Ryan Reynolds the “Sexiest Man Alive” the same year GQ awarded Johansson “Babe of the Year.” What a power couple they are.
Fan of Singer Tom Waits
Johansson is a major fan of singer Tom Waits and has released a whole album of versions of his songs, Anywhere I Lay My Head. It makes sense, given that both Waits and Johansson have deep, gravelly voices.
Honest
Although Johansson has become synonymous with Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, Emily Blunt was originally cast as the Russian spy in a catsuit but had to step out due to schedule difficulties.
Queen of Swords
Many people believe Johansson is mystically lovely. Indeed, artist Francesco Clemente hand-painted a Tarot deck and chose Johansson as the Queen of Swords—the Queen who represents the logical and sensible parts of the feminine personality.
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Colleagues
Johansson also collaborated with Captain America himself, Chris Evans, in both The Perfect Score and The Nanny Diaries before teaming with him in the Avengers flicks. They are really close buddies.
Another Name for a Rose
Rose Dorothy Dauriac, Johansson’s only child with Dauriac, was born in 2014. She was pregnant on the set of Avengers: Age of Ultron, and the filmmakers had to conceal her pregnancy through stunt doubles and cunning angles.
Scarlett Johansson’s net worth and salary have been revealed
Scarlett Johansson is a $165 million net worth American actress. She has been one of the world’s most popular and highest-paid actors for over a decade. Her films have grossed over $14.3 billion worldwide, making her one of the highest-grossing movie stars of all time. She is also a highly compensated brand endorsement.
She easily earns $10 – $20 million every film and consistently earns $10 – $20 million per year in endorsements.
