The Rise of Scarlett Johansson: Highest Grossing Actor EVER
The Rise of Scarlett Johansson: The Highest-Grossing Actor EVER
Welcome to MsMojo, where well be going through the entire career of Scarlett Johansson, one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood history.
In 2018 & 19, Johansson became the highest-paid actress in the entire world. During the mid-2020s, she also overtook Samuel L. Jackson and became the highest-grossing actor in human history. Alongside being one of Marvels staple characters for over a decade, shes acted in a ton of blockbusters and is now the face of Jurassic World. After being a huge nerd for the series for years, its a dream come true for Johansson. She didnt simply become one of Hollywoods top dogs overnight; her career has lasted over three decades. During that time, shes been in over 50 movies and has been nominated for over a hundred awards, winning at least 42 of them. So, how did Johansson achieve all that she has today? The short answer is through hard work & dedication to show business. If you want the long answer, then keep watching!
On November 22, 1984, Johansson was born in Manhattan, New York. She and her family grew interested in acting from a young age. While she was only 7, one of her siblings landed an agent over her. This upset the young Johansson, who found the auditioning experience highly overwhelming. That didnt stop her from following her dreams. If anything, it only made her more motivated. Her parents supported her the whole time, encouraging her to sing and dance for the family frequently. Another technique of hers was to force herself to cry in the mirror, which massively improved her acting abilities. Eventually, she landed herself a place at the Professional Childrens School in Manhattan, which specialises in child actors. When she was only 9 years old, she earned her first paid role on Late Night with Conan OBrien. It was only a five-minute sketch, but everyone has to start somewhere. Over the next couple of years, she got a handful of minor roles in some reasonably high-budget movies. In 1996, she nailed her first leading role in Manny & Lo. She was so good, one reviewer said, she could become an important actress. It wasnt enough to make her a star. However, she wouldnt break through until starring in 2001s Ghost World.
Johansson was cast as one of the two main characters of Ghost World, alongside Thora Birch. Based on a 90s comic, it didnt light up the box office, but received enough praise to become a cult classic. Fortunately for her, she would be propelled into the spotlight in 2003, and she hasnt left since. She signed on to star alongside Bill Murray in Sofia Coppolas hit movie Lost in Translation. It had a relatively small budget of $4 million, but made almost $119 million at the box office. Although cast when she was 17 and just shy of 19 when the film came out, Johansson received praise for how well she played an older character. In the same year, she also played the main character in Girl with a Pearl Earring, which was less successful but still highly acclaimed. The industry was so impressed, she got two nominations for the BAFTA for Best Actress. This gave her a 40% chance of winning a BAFTA, which she did for Lost in Translation. By this point, she had established herself as one of her generations greatest actors. She continued to act in huge Hollywood blockbusters, like The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie in 2004, where she voiced Mindy, Neptunes daughter. A dream of hers to work with Woody Allen was fulfilled in 2005, when they worked together on Match Point. During this era, she also worked alongside Michael Bay and Christopher Nolan.
So she might not have been unanimously considered a household name by the late 2000s. In the early 2010s, almost everyone knew her. By 2010, she had a reputation for being a diverse actress with a plethora of talents. This helped her make her Broadway debut in 2010. Starring in A View from the Bridge, Johannson won a Tony Award. In the same year, her career changed forever when she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Johansson first took on the role of Black Widow in Iron Man 2 and has appeared in 8 films since. Black Widow even got her own prequel movie in 2021, which also served as a sendoff for Natasha Romanoff. When the film was released on both cinemas and streaming services, it prompted a legal battle between Johansson and Disney. It was settled out of court, and on the bright side, theyre still on good terms with Johansson becoming executive producer for Thunderbolts*. Fans are desperate for her return, which fuels tons of rumors. Johansson has said multiple times shell never reprise the role, but that doesnt stop die-hard fans. Now, the gap has been filled by Black Widows adopted sister Yelena Belova, portrayed by Florence Pugh.
Black Widow wasnt her sole role during her Marvel years. One of her most critically acclaimed works was Under the Skin in 2013, an exceptionally artsy film, to put it mildly. Johansson played the lead character, a bizarre alien wandering around Glasgow. Like Ghost World, it didnt pack theaters, but that didnt stop it from earning huge praise. More lucrative roles for Johansson included Her and Lucy. The former was nominated in five separate categories at the Academy Awards. The latter was much more polarizing, earning recognition for the acting and visuals, but the plot was considered gibberish by many viewers. She later joined Wes Anderson for a couple of movies, starred in both Sing films, and controversially played the lead character in Ghost in the Shell. While her performance wasnt bad, the character she played was Japanese, which became a major source of criticism. Johansson rebounded at the 2020 Academy Awards when she was nominated for both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, a feat few have achieved. The former was for Marriage Story, then the latter for Jojo Rabbit. Both are considered some of her finest works ever.
Of course, acting isnt the only thing Johansson has done with her life; shes also released a decent amount of music. Her first album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, was released in 2008 and impressively featured David Bowie. Only one track was original, with the rest being Tom Waits covers. It didnt to impress everyone, a reception shared by her second album Break Up from 2009, created alongside Pete Yorn. The pair most recently released an EP in 2018. Philanthropy is another focus. Across her career, shes supported at least 30 charities and even became a global ambassador for Oxfam in 2005. Unfortunately, she didnt keep the role for long. In 2014, she stepped down after promoting SodaStream, an Israeli company with factories in the occupied West Bank. Thats potentially her biggest controversy, but it doesnt discount the millions shes raised. Politics is another interest of hers. Shes campaigned for multiple Democratic presidential candidates and is a massive supporter of feminism. Somehow, she managed to fit in time to raise a family. Shes been married three times, currently to Colin Jost, and is raising two children.
Johansson has solidified herself as a titan of Hollywood. Things are likely to keep improving for her, as shell likely star in new Jurassic World movies, and is even starting to direct. Her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025 and received reasonably positive reviews. She also owns her own production company called These Pictures, so expect more films from her. At this point, she could comfortably retire early, but when she holds so much passion for her craft, why would she bother?
Whats your favorite Scarlett Johansson role, and was it the first movie you saw her in? Let us know in the comments below!
