Scarlett Johansson is an American actress, singer, producer, and director born on November 22, 1984, in New York City. She is best known around the world for playing Natasha Romanoff, also called Black Widow, in the Marvel films, and for acclaimed dramas such as Lost in Translation, Marriage Story, and Jojo Rabbit. She began acting as a child and grew into one of the highest grossing film stars in history. This Scarlett Johansson biography covers her early life, her education, her long career, her family, and her net worth.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Scarlett Ingrid Johansson |
| Born | November 22, 1984 |
| Birthplace | New York City, New York, United States |
| Age | 41 years old (as of November 2026) |
| Profession | Actress, singer, producer, and director |
| Famous for | Black Widow in Marvel films, Lost in Translation, Marriage Story |
| Net worth | Around 165 million dollars (unverified estimate, not officially confirmed) |
| Spouse or partner | Colin Jost, married since 2020 |
| Children | Two children: daughter Rose Dorothy and son Cosmo |
| Nationality | American |
Who Is Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is an American actress born on November 22, 1984, in Manhattan, New York City. She started acting as a child and became one of the most successful film stars of her generation. Her films as a leading actress have earned more than 15 billion dollars around the world, which makes her one of the highest grossing actors in cinema history.
Most people around the world know her as Natasha Romanoff, also called Black Widow, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She first played the role in Iron Man 2 in 2010 and continued through eight Marvel films, finishing with her own solo film Black Widow in 2021. But her career is much wider than Marvel. She won a British Academy Film Award for Lost in Translation in 2003, and she earned two Academy Award nominations in the same year for Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit. She also won a Tony Award on Broadway in 2010 for A View from the Bridge.
Johansson is known for her range. She has played quiet dramatic roles, funny roles, action heroes, and even a voice role as an artificial intelligence in the film Her in 2013. She has also recorded music, releasing an album of Tom Waits songs in 2008, and she has moved into producing and directing. In 2025, she made her directorial debut with the film Eleanor the Great, and she starred in Jurassic World Rebirth, one of the biggest films of that year.
She was the highest paid actress in the world in 2018, 2019, and 2025, according to Forbes, and Time magazine has named her one of the most influential people in the world. Her story shows how a child actor can grow into a serious artist and a global star without losing the respect of critics.
Early Life
Scarlett Ingrid Johansson was born on November 22, 1984, in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Her father, Karsten Olaf Johansson, is an architect who was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her mother, Melanie Sloan, is a producer from a Jewish family in the Bronx. Scarlett has a twin brother, Hunter Johansson, who is also an actor, as well as an older sister, Vanessa, an older brother, Adrian, and a half brother, Christian.
Scarlett showed an interest in acting from a very young age. As a small child, she would act out scenes in front of a mirror and put on shows for her family. Her mother supported her interest and took her to auditions. She appeared in her first off Broadway play as a child, and she made her film debut at the age of nine in the fantasy comedy North in 1994.
Her early film roles came quickly. She appeared in Manny and Lo in 1996, playing one of two sisters on the run, and the role earned her praise from critics. In 1998, she starred in The Horse Whisperer, directed by Robert Redford, playing a teenager recovering from a riding accident. The film introduced her to a wide audience and showed that she could handle serious emotional scenes even as a young actor.
Education
Scarlett Johansson was educated in New York City. She attended the Professional Children’s School in Manhattan, a school designed for young people working in the arts. It gave her a normal education alongside a very unusual childhood career.
After finishing school, Johansson applied to the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, but she was not accepted. The rejection was a blow, but it did not slow her down. She has said that she decided to focus fully on her acting career instead, and within a few years she had her breakthrough role in Lost in Translation. Her path shows that formal training helps, but it is not the only way to build a great acting career.
Career
Scarlett Johansson’s breakthrough came in 2003 with Lost in Translation, directed by Sofia Coppola. She played Charlotte, a young woman feeling lost and lonely in Tokyo, opposite Bill Murray. The film won praise around the world, and Johansson won the British Academy Film Award for Best Actress. The same year, she starred in Girl with a Pearl Earring, playing the servant who becomes the model for a famous painting. Both roles showed that she was no longer a child actor, but a serious adult performer.
Over the next few years, she worked steadily with major directors. She made three films with Woody Allen: Match Point in 2005, Scoop in 2006, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2008. She also starred in The Prestige in 2006, a mystery about rival magicians, and in The Nanny Diaries in 2007. Her voice work in Her in 2013, in which she played an artificial intelligence that a lonely man falls in love with, earned wide praise even though she never appeared on screen.
Her career changed again in 2010 when she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Natasha Romanoff, known as Black Widow, in Iron Man 2. She played the role in eight Marvel films, including The Avengers in 2012, Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014, Avengers: Endgame in 2019, and her solo film Black Widow in 2021. The role made her famous with audiences of all ages and turned her into a global action star. Like her Marvel co-star Robert Downey Jr., she became one of the faces of the biggest film franchise in history.
At the same time, she kept choosing serious dramatic roles. In 2019, she had one of her best years ever. She played Nicole in Marriage Story, a painful and honest film about a couple going through a divorce, and she played Rosie in Jojo Rabbit, a mother hiding a Jewish girl during the Second World War. She was nominated for Academy Awards for both roles in the same year, one for Best Actress and one for Best Supporting Actress, a rare honor. She also appeared in the science fiction action film Lucy in 2014, which became a box office hit.
On stage, Johansson won a Tony Award in 2010 for her performance in A View from the Bridge on Broadway. She has also worked as a singer, releasing the album Anywhere I Lay My Head in 2008, and she has appeared in music videos. In recent years, she has moved behind the camera as a producer and director. Her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great, premiered in 2025, and she starred in Jurassic World Rebirth the same year, a film that earned more than a billion dollars around the world. Like fellow Marvel star Tom Holland, she has shown that a franchise star can also build a serious career beyond blockbusters.
Family and Personal Life
Scarlett Johansson has been married three times. Her first marriage was to actor Ryan Reynolds. They married in September 2008 and divorced in July 2011. Her second marriage was to French journalist Romain Dauriac. They married in October 2014 and divorced in September 2017. They have a daughter together, Rose Dorothy Dauriac, who was born on August 30, 2014.
In October 2020, Johansson married comedian and writer Colin Jost, who is known for his work on Saturday Night Live. The couple had a small and private wedding ceremony. They have a son together, Cosmo Jost, who was born in August 2021. Johansson and Jost live in New York City, and they have kept their family life mostly private.
Age and Net Worth
Scarlett Johansson was born on November 22, 1984, which makes her 41 years old as of November 2026. She has been acting for more than 30 years, since her film debut in 1994 at the age of nine. Her long career means that she has worked in film for most of her life, and she is still taking on major roles in her forties, including leading a Jurassic World film and directing her first feature.
Her net worth is widely reported at around 165 million dollars, according to third party estimates. This figure is an unverified estimate and has not been officially confirmed by Johansson herself. Her wealth comes mainly from film salaries, including very large paydays for her Marvel films and for Jurassic World Rebirth, as well as from endorsements, producing work, and her business ventures.
Johansson was the highest paid actress in the world in 2018 and 2019, earning tens of millions of dollars a year at the peak of her Marvel career. She also earned a large salary for her solo Black Widow film. In 2025, she was again reported as the highest paid actress in the world, thanks to her work in Jurassic World Rebirth. Exact figures about any star’s wealth are always estimates, because private finances are not made public.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Scarlett Johansson?
Scarlett Johansson was born on November 22, 1984, so she is 41 years old as of November 2026.
What is Scarlett Johansson best known for?
She is best known for playing Natasha Romanoff, also called Black Widow, in the Marvel films, and for acclaimed dramas such as Lost in Translation, Marriage Story, and Jojo Rabbit.
Who is Scarlett Johansson married to?
She has been married to comedian and Saturday Night Live writer Colin Jost since October 2020. She was previously married to Ryan Reynolds and Romain Dauriac.
How many children does Scarlett Johansson have?
She has two children: a daughter, Rose Dorothy Dauriac, born in 2014, and a son, Cosmo Jost, born in 2021.
Sources
- Britannica: Scarlett Johansson biography
- Wikipedia: Scarlett Johansson
- Britannica Kids: Scarlett Johansson
Final Thoughts
Scarlett Johansson’s story is one of the most impressive in modern Hollywood. She started acting as a nine year old in New York, earned the respect of critics as a teenager, and then became a global star as Black Widow while still winning praise for serious dramas. She has earned a Tony Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Academy Award nominations, and her films have earned billions of dollars. Now, as a director and producer, she is shaping her own future in film. Her career shows that a child star can grow into a complete artist, and her best work may still be ahead of her. Readers who enjoy Marvel stories may also like our Zendaya biography, another tale of a young star who grew into a major force in film and television.
