Scarlett Johansson celebrates her 40th birthday: Hollywood icon without fear

It had to happen this way. It was almost predictable that Scarlett Johansson (40) would one day be one of the highest paid actresses in the world. Her career began early – and decisively. Born on November 22, 1984 in New York, Johansson attended acting school as a child. She received her first film role at the age of ten in Rob Reiner’s (77) comedy “North”. Four years later she made a name for herself alongside Robert Redford (88) in “The Horse Whisperer”. The final breakthrough came in 2003 with Sofia Coppola’s (53) “Lost in Translation”. She received a Golden Globe nomination for her role at the age of 19 and suddenly had everyone’s eyes on her.

Johansson’s acting career shows an impressive range – from deep character roles to major blockbusters. Whether in Woody Allen’s (88) “Match Point” and “Vicky Christina Barcelona”, in the biopic “Hitchcock” as superhero Natasha Romanoff alias “Black Widow” in the Marvel universe, as a charming voice in “Her” or as a seductive creature in Sci -Fi thriller “Under the Skin”: Johansson doesn’t shy away from any challenge. Not even when it gets personal: When she was offered the role in the divorce drama “Marriage Story” alongside Adam Driver (41), she accepted it, even though she was currently in the middle of her second divorce. In 2020 she received an Oscar nomination for this leading role – and at the same time for her supporting role in “Jojo Rabbit”.

Johansson’s beauty has been showcased in numerous film scenes and described in countless portraits. But what’s more interesting is the fearless charisma that surrounds the actress. Laura Dern (57), who starred with her in “Marriage Story”, describes it: “Scarlett’s personality is: ‘I’m here and I know who I am. I’m not here for you to like me.’ That’s an impressive energy in a woman.” This self-confidence, which can sometimes be read almost as defiance, runs through Johansson’s entire career.

In addition to acting, the actress has also ventured into musical territory with her voice. She released a collection of Tom Waits covers in 2008 with the album “Anywhere I Lay My Head”. She also recorded a duet album with the American singer/songwriter Pete Yorn.

Johansson also shows courage away from the camera and microphone. She doesn’t shy away from controversy and stands up for her beliefs. When Disney released the film “Black Widow” in parallel in cinemas and on the Disney+ streaming platform despite contracts to the contrary, they sued the studio – a settlement for more than $40 million.

But Johansson doesn’t just set clear boundaries in a professional context. She fights for feminist issues such as abortion rights and was actively involved in the Time’s Up movement. She also took legal action against OpenAI when their chatbots imitated her voice. Before the 2024 US election, she actively campaigned for the Democrats and posted a video with her Avengers colleagues that called for the election of Kamala Harris (60).

And even if it doesn’t always win her sympathy, Johansson remains true to her principles. While many of her colleagues distanced themselves from Woody Allen in the wake of the MeToo era, she stuck by the controversial director: “I love him,” she also told The Hollywood Reporter. And further: “I believe him and I would work with him again at any time.”

In his private life, Johansson is less open. What is known: After a three-year marriage to Ryan Reynolds (48), she married the French journalist Romain Dauriac (42), with whom she has a daughter, in 2014. She has been married to the comedian Colin Jost (42) since 2020; Her son was born in 2021. As much as she keeps her private life under wraps, she doesn’t let her fame limit her. She insisted on being able to take the subway or go to the park like any New Yorker, she told the Hollywood Reporter.

But the actress is not completely fearless. Scarlett Johansson is actually afraid of one thing: birds. “Something with wings, beaks and flapping. I’m terrified of them,” . And she immediately made it clear that she would also face this fear if it was necessary for a role. Eh, sure.