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Scarlett Johansson Biography: Black Widow Star, Director, and Hollywood’s Highest-Paid Actress

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Scarlett Johansson Biography: Black Widow Star, Director, and Hollywood’s Highest-Paid Actress

Scarlett Johansson biography: Scarlett Johansson is an American actress, producer, and director best known as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Born in New York City on November 22, 1984, she went from child star to a BAFTA and Tony winner, earned two Academy Award nominations in the same year (2020), and topped Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid actresses in 2018, 2019, and 2025.

Quick facts

  • Full name: Scarlett Ingrid Johansson
  • Born: November 22, 1984, Manhattan, New York City, USA
  • Nationality: American (also holds Danish citizenship)
  • Occupation: Actress, producer, director
  • Known for: Black Widow / Marvel Cinematic Universe, Lost in Translation, Marriage Story, Jurassic World Rebirth
  • Spouse: Colin Jost (m. 2020); previously Ryan Reynolds (2008–2011) and Romain Dauriac (2014–2017)
  • Children: 2

Early life and background

Scarlett Ingrid Johansson was born in Manhattan, New York City, to Karsten Olaf Johansson, an architect from Copenhagen, Denmark, and Melanie Sloan, a New Yorker who worked as a producer. Her mother’s family comes from an Ashkenazi Jewish background with roots in Poland and Russia, and Johansson holds dual American and Danish citizenship. She grew up with her twin brother Hunter, older sister Vanessa (also an actress), older brother Adrian, and half-brother Christian.

She wanted to perform from childhood, studying at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. At eight she made her stage debut in the off-Broadway play Sophistry alongside Ethan Hawke, and she attended the Professional Children’s School in Manhattan. Her parents divorced when she was 13.

Child star to breakthrough (1994–2003)

Johansson made her film debut at nine in Rob Reiner’s North (1994), followed by Manny & Lo (1996), Robert Redford’s The Horse Whisperer (1998) at 13, and the cult classic Ghost World (2001).

Her adult breakthrough arrived in 2003 with two films released the same year: Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, which won her the BAFTA Award for Best Actress, and Girl with a Pearl Earring, which brought a second BAFTA nomination that year plus Golden Globe nods for both.

Major roles and awards

Johansson built a career spanning blockbusters and art-house films — Match Point (2005), The Prestige (2006), Her (2013, voice), Under the Skin (2013), Lucy (2014) — and debuted on Broadway in 2010 in a revival of A View from the Bridge, winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.

Global fame came as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, a role she first played in Iron Man 2 (2010) and carried through The Avengers (2012), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and her solo film Black Widow (2021). Her films have grossed over $14 billion worldwide. In 2020 she received two Academy Award nominations in the same year — Best Actress for Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story and Best Supporting Actress for Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit — becoming one of only about a dozen performers ever double-nominated in a single year.

Directing, producing, and business

In 2025 Johansson made her feature directorial debut with Eleanor the Great, which premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival. She runs the production company These Pictures and launched the skincare brand The Outset in 2022, and she is a Louis Vuitton brand ambassador (announced 2024). In October 2026 she headlined two BFI London Film Festival gala premieres in one day — Paper Tiger and Netflix’s Ray Gunn, voicing Venus Nova — and was announced as the lead of Mike Flanagan’s new Exorcist film.

Personal life

Johansson married actor Ryan Reynolds in 2008; they divorced in 2011. She married French businessman Romain Dauriac in 2014; they have a daughter, Rose Dorothy (born 2014), and divorced in 2017. Since October 2020 she has been married to comedian and Saturday Night Live co-head writer Colin Jost; their son Cosmo was born in August 2021. She also recorded two albums, Anywhere I Lay My Head (2008) and Break Up (2009) with Pete Yorn.

Net worth snapshot

Scarlett Johansson’s net worth is estimated at roughly $165 million as of 2026, based on the widely cited Celebrity Net Worth estimate also referenced by Fortune and the Indian Express. No Forbes, Bloomberg, or Hurun net-worth profile exists for her — the figure is a media estimate, not a Forbes one. Her wealth comes from three decades of top-tier film salaries — Forbes reported she earned $43 million in 2025 as the world’s highest-paid actress — plus endorsements and real estate. Read the full breakdown in Scarlett Johansson’s net worth.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Scarlett Johansson?

Scarlett Johansson was born on November 22, 1984, in New York City, making her 41 years old in 2026.

What is Scarlett Johansson known for?

She is best known as Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and for acclaimed performances in Lost in Translation, Marriage Story, Jojo Rabbit, and Jurassic World Rebirth. She has won a BAFTA and a Tony Award.

Has Scarlett Johansson won an Oscar?

No. She has received two Academy Award nominations, both in 2020 — Best Actress for Marriage Story and Best Supporting Actress for Jojo Rabbit — becoming one of about a dozen performers ever nominated twice in the same year.

Who is Scarlett Johansson married to?

She has been married to comedian and SNL writer Colin Jost since October 2020. They have a son, Cosmo, born in 2021. She was previously married to Ryan Reynolds (2008–2011) and Romain Dauriac (2014–2017), with whom she has a daughter, Rose (2014).

What is Scarlett Johansson doing in 2026?

She promoted Paper Tiger and voiced Venus Nova in Netflix’s Ray Gunn (both at the 70th BFI London Film Festival in October 2026), and was announced in October 2026 as the lead of Mike Flanagan’s new Exorcist film.

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