Five things to know about Scarlett Johansson
One of Hollywood's top-grossing actors, Scarlett Johansson is walking the red carpet twice at Cannes, for her directorial debut with "Eleanor the Great" on Tuesday and for Wes Anderson's film "The Phoenician Scheme", which premiered Sunday. Here are five things to know about the teen star turned Hollywood A-Lister:
Starlet Scarlett
When baby Johansson was born into a Jewish family in Manhattan in 1984, early signs suggested stardom was ahead. Her parents named her after Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind", and at a young age she was drawn to tap dance and theatre. Barely into double-digits she made her screen debut, and soon after Robert Redford cast her in "The Horse Whisperer" for her first major role.
Then, just shy of 20, she hit the big time with Sofia Coppola's art-house classic "Lost in Translation". In the film, which unfolds in the alienating surroundings of a Tokyo hotel, Johansson manages to touch the heart of an ever-sardonic Bill Murray as well as charming spectators and critics worldwide.
Cha-ching!
Over the next decades, Johansson has starred in a string of hits and top directors have queued up to cast her, from Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers to Jonathan Glazer and Christopher Nolan. Catapulting her into movie stratosphere, she joined the Marvel universe as the indomitable Black Widow in 2010 and made eight films with the franchise. During this collaboration she topped the Forbes list of highest-paid actresses and featured in hits including "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018), one of the top-10 highest grossing films of all time according to IMDB Pro.
Other missions
But Johansson the box-office megastar has also missed out on, or sidestepped, plenty of big roles. There was a potential "Mission Impossible" movie but this was shelved, officially due to scheduling clashes. She did not land the lead in "Les Miserables", which went to Anne Hathaway, who won an Oscar for it, nor did she get Lisbeth Salander in "Millennium".
But she was plenty busy, often starring in lower-budget films that wowed critics and audiences. These included a stand-out performance as an alien in Jonathan Glazer's remarkable "Under the Skin" (2013), shot in wintery backstreets, abandoned houses and seedy minivans. So far, she has not won an Oscar, but she was nominated for best actress and supporting actress in 2020 for her roles in indie favorites "Marriage Story" and "Jojo Rabbit".
That voice
It is unmistakable and Johansson has capitalized on it, though sometimes with unwanted repercussions. She brought her deep, distinctive vocals to the voice of Samantha in "Her" (2013) by Spike Jonze, about an artificial intelligence system Joaquin Phoenix falls for. But in May last year Johansson accused tech firm OpenAI of using her voice in their own generative AI ChatGPT, which responded by modifying its tone. She can also be heard in hit animations including "The Jungle Book" and the two "Sing" films.
Johansson has also released two albums, "Anywhere I Lay My Head" in 2008 and a year later "Break Up". They did not rock the music world, but reviewing the inaugural album, Pitchfork called it a "curio" while praising the "wide textural range" of Johansson's voice.
Against the grain
Never reluctant to speak her mind, Johansson has been outspoken on various social and film-related issues. She has supported victims of harassment, pushed for gender-equal pay and spotlighted the impact of streaming on theatrical releases. She is also willing to take more controversial stances, not least in defending Woody Allen -- who has cast her in three films -- when much of Hollywood has shunned him over a long-running sexual assault scandal. "I love Woody. I believe him, and I would work with him any time," she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2019.--AFP
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