Scarlett Johansson
Born 1984 · Age 41
American actress and singer; highest-grossing lead actor in history with films grossing over $15.1B. Winner of BAFTA and Tony Awards; two-time simultaneous Academy Award nominee.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Manhattan, New York City
Scarlett Ingrid Johansson born to Melanie Sloan (producer) and Karsten Johansson (Danish architect).
First stage appearance (off‑Broadway Sophistry)
Appeared with Ethan Hawke in the off‑Broadway play Sophistry — her first stage acting experience as a child.
Enrolled at Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute
Studied acting as a child at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.
First paid TV role (Late Night sketch)
Landed first paid role as a sketch character on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
Film debut: North
Made her feature film debut as John Ritter's daughter in Rob Reiner's North.
First leading film role: Manny & Lo
Starred as Amanda in Manny & Lo; earned critical praise and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead.
Parents divorced
Johansson's parents divorced when she was thirteen — a personal event that influenced her upbringing.
Breakout role: The Horse Whisperer
Played Grace MacLean opposite Robert Redford; received nomination from Chicago Film Critics Association for Most Promising Actress.
Breakthrough: Ghost World
Breakthrough performance as a cynical outcast in Ghost World; won Toronto Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Graduated Professional Children's School; NYU Tisch rejected
Graduated specialized school for child performers; applied to NYU Tisch but was rejected and decided to focus on film career.
Starred in Girl with a Pearl Earring
Played Griet opposite Colin Firth; earned praise and award nominations, helping transition to adult roles.
Starred in Lost in Translation
Played Charlotte in Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation — film shot on $4M, grossed ~$119M and brought Johansson international acclaim.
Won BAFTA Award for Best Actress (Lost in Translation)
Received BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Lost in Translation.
Voiced Princess Mindy (The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie)
Provided voice for Princess Mindy; the film was her most commercially successful release of 2004.
Match Point and The Island (major roles)
Played Nola Rice in Woody Allen's Match Point (Golden Globe nomination) and dual roles in Michael Bay's The Island (gross $163M).
Appeared in The Prestige and Scoop
Supported roles in Christopher Nolan's The Prestige and Woody Allen's Scoop; expanded collaborations with acclaimed directors.
Performed with Jesus and Mary Chain at Coachella
Sang backing (live) with Jesus and Mary Chain at Coachella festival.
Starred in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and The Other Boleyn Girl
Worked again with Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) and co‑starred with Natalie Portman (The Other Boleyn Girl).
Released debut album Anywhere I Lay My Head
Released Tom Waits covers album in May 2008; featured David Bowie; peaked at #126 on Billboard 200.
Married Ryan Reynolds
Married actor Ryan Reynolds in September 2008 (small ceremony in British Columbia).
Released Break Up (duet album with Pete Yorn)
Collaborative album Break Up released May 2009; reached #41 in US charts.
Broadway debut: A View from the Bridge; Tony Award
Made Broadway debut in A View from the Bridge and won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
Cast as Black Widow in Iron Man 2
Secured role of Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) in Marvel Cinematic Universe (Iron Man 2); prepared with stunt training; film grossed $623.9M worldwide.
Separated from Ryan Reynolds
Announced separation from Ryan Reynolds in December 2010; divorce finalized July 2011.
We Bought a Zoo release
Co‑starred with Matt Damon in We Bought a Zoo; nominated for Teen Choice Award.
Cell‑phone photo leak; FBI investigation and prosecution
Private photos were leaked in 2011; FBI investigated and attacker Christopher Chaney was arrested and later sentenced to prison.
The Avengers breaks box-office records
Reprised Black Widow in The Avengers (2012); film became one of highest-grossing films at the time and broke box office records worldwide.
Voice role in Her; Best Actress at Rome Film Festival
Voiced Samantha in Spike Jonze's Her; premiered at Rome Int'l Film Festival where Johansson won Best Actress; later won Saturn Award (2014) for the role.
Starred in Under the Skin
Played an extraterrestrial woman preying on men; received critical praise and a BIFA nomination.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Black Widow reprise)
Reprised Black Widow; film grossed over $714 million worldwide.
Lucy grosses $458M worldwide
Starred in Luc Besson's Lucy; film grossed approximately $458 million on a $40M budget.
Married Romain Dauriac; daughter born
Married French journalist Romain Dauriac (October 2014) and the couple had daughter Rose in September 2014.
Avengers: Age of Ultron grosses over $1.1B
Reprised Black Widow in Avengers: Age of Ultron; film earned more than $1.1 billion worldwide.
Captain America: Civil War grosses over $1.1B
Appeared as Black Widow; film exceeded $1.1 billion and Johansson received action-movie award nominations for the role.
Narrated audiobook and voiced major animated characters
Narrated Alice's Adventures in Wonderland audiobook; voiced Kaa (The Jungle Book) and Ash (Sing) in 2016.
Starred in Ghost in the Shell; whitewashing controversy
Lead role in Ghost in the Shell; film grossed $169.8M on $110M budget and drew criticism for casting/whitewashing.
Hosted Saturday Night Live (fifth time) / Five‑Timers Club
Hosted SNL for the fifth time (by March 2017 she entered SNL's Five‑Timers Club).
Divorced Romain Dauriac
Divorce from Romain Dauriac finalized in September 2017.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) release
Reprised Black Widow; major global blockbuster participation continued.
Named world's highest‑paid actress (Forbes)
Topped Forbes' list of world's highest‑paid actresses for 2018 (and again in 2019).
Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit release
Starred in Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit, critically acclaimed performances that led to major award recognition (films released 2019).
Avengers: Endgame becomes highest‑grossing film
Reprised Black Widow in Avengers: Endgame (2019), which became the highest‑grossing film of all time (as of its release).
Dual Academy Award nominations (Marriage Story, Jojo Rabbit)
Received simultaneous nominations for Best Actress (Marriage Story) and Best Supporting Actress (Jojo Rabbit) — one of few performers to achieve dual nominations in same year.
Married Colin Jost
Married comedian/writer Colin Jost in a private ceremony in October 2020.
People's Choice Award: Female Movie Star of 2021
Won The Female Movie Star of 2021 at the 47th People's Choice Awards for Black Widow.
Black Widow solo film released; executive producer
Starred in and executive produced Black Widow (2021); film released theatrically and on Disney+ simultaneously during COVID‑19.
Sued Disney over Black Widow release
Filed lawsuit in July 2021 claiming Disney breached contract by simultaneous Disney+ release and deprived her of box‑office bonuses.
Birth of son Cosmo Jost
Welcomed son Cosmo with husband Colin Jost (reported August 2021).
Disney lawsuit settled (reported >$40M received)
Lawsuit resolved in September 2021 under undisclosed terms; later reports said Johansson received over $40M and would continue working with Disney.
Launched skincare brand The Outset
Reported launch of her skincare line The Outset in March 2022 (biography sources).
Asteroid City premiere at Cannes; large pay cut
Starred in Wes Anderson's Asteroid City (premiered at Cannes 2023); reportedly earned $4,131/week for two months of work.
Voiced Elita‑1 in Transformers One
Voiced Elita‑1 in animated prequel Transformers One (2024); film had poor box-office returns.
Founded production company These Pictures; produced Fly Me to the Moon
Founded production company These Pictures; produced and starred in Fly Me to the Moon (2024).
Reported net worth estimate (May 2025)
Biography sources and Celebrity Net Worth estimate Scarlett Johansson's net worth at approximately $165M (source: Biography/Celebrity Net Worth), while aggregated earnings and settlements suggest higher (see timeline estimates).
Starred in Jurassic World Rebirth
Starred in Jurassic World Rebirth (released July 2, 2025) as a covert operations specialist; longstanding personal career goal.
Time 100: named one of the 100 most influential people (second time)
Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2025 (previously named in 2021).
Directorial debut: Eleanor the Great premiered at Cannes
Made directorial debut with Eleanor the Great (about a 94‑year‑old woman); reportedly received a five‑minute standing ovation at Cannes in May 2025.
Key Achievement Ages
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