Scarlett Johansson

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Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson in January 2008
Born Scarlett I. Johansson
November 22, 1984 (1984-11-22) (age 23)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1994–present
Domestic partner(s) Ryan Reynolds (fiancé)

Scarlett I. Johansson[1] (born November 22, 1984) is an actress and singer, of dual American and Danish citizenship.[2] Johansson rose to fame with her role in 1998's The Horse Whisperer and subsequently gained critical acclaim for her roles in Ghost World, Lost in Translation (for which she won a BAFTA), and Girl with a Pearl Earring, the latter two earning her Golden Globe Award nominations in 2003.

On May 20, 2008, Johansson debuted as a vocalist on her first album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, with cover versions of Tom Waits songs.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Johansson was born in New York City. Her father, Karsten Johansson, is a Danish-born architect, and her paternal grandfather, Ejner Johansson, was a screenwriter and director (Scarlett Johansson holds Danish citizenship).[2] Scarlett Johansson's mother, Melanie Sloan, a producer, comes from an Ashkenazi Jewish family from the Bronx.[3][4][5][6] Johansson's parents met in Denmark, where her mother lived with Johansson's maternal grandmother, Dorothy, a former bookkeeper and schoolteacher.[7] Johansson has an older sister, Vanessa, who is also an actress; an older brother, Adrian; a twin brother, Hunter, also an actor; and a half-brother, Christian, from her father's re-marriage.

Johansson grew up in a household with "little money"[5] with a mother who was a "film buff".[8] Johansson began her theater training by attending and graduating from Professional Children's School in Manhattan in 2002.

[edit] Acting career

Johansson began acting during childhood, after her mother began taking her to auditions.[5] She made her film debut in 1994's North. After appearing in several films during the late 1990s, including a "blink and you'll miss it" appearance in the Mandy Moore video for her single Candy, Johansson garnered praise and widespread attention for her performance in 1998's The Horse Whisperer and 2001's Ghost World.

She won the "Upstream Prize" for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her performance in 2003's Lost in Translation. The same year, she was nominated for two Best Actress awards at the Golden Globes, one for drama (Girl with a Pearl Earring) and one for comedy (Lost in Translation). She was also nominated for Best Actress for both films at the BAFTAs, and won Best Actress for Lost in Translation.

Johansson was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in June 2004.[9] In the same year, she starred in the films The Perfect Score, In Good Company and A Love Song for Bobby Long, the last of which earned her a third Golden Globe Award nomination. Johansson was involved for a short time with the film Mission: Impossible III, but was not officially cast because of scheduling conflicts, although a falling out with the film's star, Tom Cruise, had been both widely reported and publicly denied.[10] She was replaced by Keri Russell.

In July 2005, Johansson starred with Ewan McGregor in Michael Bay's The Island, making her debut as a female lead in a mainstream action film. In the same year, she starred in the Woody Allen-directed drama Match Point, which opened in December. Johansson received her fourth Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the role, but lost to Rachel Weisz.

Johansson's next film, Scoop, another collaboration with Allen, was released on July 28, 2006. The same year, she appeared in Brian De Palma's The Black Dahlia, a film noir shot in Los Angeles and Bulgaria. Johansson has noted that she was a De Palma fan and had wanted to work with him on the film, even though she thought that she was "physically wrong" for the part.[11] Her reviews were mixed: CNN.com noted that Johansson "takes to the pulpy period atmosphere as if it were oxygen,"[12] whereas the Kalamazoo Gazette referred to Johansson as "miscast."[13]

On January 14, 2006, Johansson hosted Saturday Night Live. Also in 2006, Johansson starred in a short film directed by Bennett Miller and set to Bob Dylan's "When the Deal Goes Down...," released to promote Dylan's album, Modern Times.[14] Johansson also appeared in the Christopher Nolan thriller The Prestige, which opened on October 20, 2006. She made a return appearance on Saturday Night Live on April 21, 2007, during which she dueted with Andy Samberg for a version of "Something to Talk About."

Johansson at the film set of Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2007
Johansson at the film set of Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2007

Johansson next appeared in 2007's The Nanny Diaries, starring alongside Alicia Keys, and 2008's The Other Boleyn Girl, playing Mary Boleyn opposite Natalie Portman and Eric Bana.[15] She has filmed her third Woody Allen film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, in Spain.[16]

Johansson has signed on for three new projects. She was cast as the femme fatale Silken Floss opposite Gabriel Macht in Frank Miller's noir comedy adaptation of Will Eisner's comic The Spirit. The movie is scheduled to go into production October 2007.[17] She will also portray Mary, Queen of Scots in a film scheduled to begin production in March 2008,[18][19] and appear as a pilates instructor in He's Just Not That Into You, with Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Justin Long. The film is directed by Ken Kwapis and produced by Barrymore.

[edit] Music career

In 2005, Johansson was considered for the role of Maria[20] in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End revival of The Sound of Music, though the role ultimately went to newcomer Connie Fisher after she won BBC's talent show How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?[21] Released May 8, 2006, Johansson sang the track "Summertime" for Unexpected Dreams – Songs from the Stars, a non-profit collection of songs recorded by Hollywood actors. She also performed with The Jesus And Mary Chain for a special Coachella Reunion Show in Indio, California in April 2007.[22]

In the summer of 2007, Johansson spent about a month in Maurice, Louisiana recording an album at Dockside Studio, a rural 12 acre complex. The album consists of one original song and ten cover versions of Tom Waits songs.[23][8] It was produced by Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio and features David Bowie, members from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs[24][25] and Celebration.[26][27] The record, entitled Anywhere I Lay My Head was released on May 20, 2008, through Atco/Rhino Records,[28][29] amid a negative "critical consensus, stretching from comments on Gawker.com to the pages of The New York Times."[30][31] Reviews of the album were mainly average,[32] mostly concentrating on her supposedly sub-par vocal abilities and the perceived failure to add a new dimension to the well-established classics she chose to cover, but some critics found it to be surprisingly alluring,[33] brave in its eccentric selection,[34] and even brilliant.[35]

In 2006, Johansson was the leading lady in Bob Dylan's music video for "When the Deal Goes Down." In 2007, she appeared as the leading lady in Justin Timberlake's music video for "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around," nominated in August 2007 for video of the year at the MTV Video Music Awards.[36]

[edit] Personal life

Johansson does not discuss her personal life with the press, saying "it's nice to have everybody not know your business." This has not stopped Johansson from sharing "select" opinions and personal details.[37] Johansson's ex-boyfriend (and member of the band Steel Train), Jack Antonoff, wrote lyrics that refer to Johansson in the song "Better Love."[38] Antonoff alludes to Johansson in the song "2 O'clock." She has been linked to many famous men, including Derek Jeter, Benicio del Toro, Jared Leto, Justin Timberlake and her Black Dahlia co-star Josh Hartnett. They dated for about two years until the end of 2006, with Hartnett citing their busy lives as the reason for the split.[39] She is currently dating Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds,[40] and on May 5, 2008, it was reported that the two are engaged.[41][42] Johansson says she does not believe in monogamy, and has said that it is not human nature to be with just one person. She also said "contrary to popular belief... [she is] not promiscuous" and she works "really hard" when she is in a relationship "to make it work in a monogamous way."[43] She gets tested for HIV twice a year, and has said "it's part of being a decent human" and it is "disgusting" and "irresponsible" when people do not do so.[44]

Johansson is a cheese fanatic, saying: "My greatest vice is cheese. Nothing else reigns over my life."[45] She has criticized the media and Hollywood for promoting an image that causes unhealthy diets and eating disorders among women, saying "that being ultra-thin is not sexy at all. Women shouldn't be forced to conform to unrealistic and unhealthy body images that the media promote."[46]

Johansson appeared on the cover of the March 2006 issue of Vanity Fair in the nude with Oscar-nominated actress Keira Knightley and world-renowned fashion designer Tom Ford. In March 2006, she topped the U.S. edition of FHM's poll of the sexiest women alive (in the UK edition Johansson was third). In 2007, Maxim named Johansson #3 in their Hot 100 issue.[47] In November 2006, Johansson was named "Sexiest Woman Alive" by Esquire.[48] In February 2007, she was named the "Sexiest Celebrity" of the year by Playboy.[49]

About her religious affiliation, Johansson says: "That's a very personal question. I would rather not answer." She celebrates a "little of both" referring to Christmas and Hanukkah.[50] She dislikes when celebrities thank God or Jesus in their award acceptance speeches.[51] She described herself as Jewish when she was talking about Woody Allen. "I just adore Woody," she says. "We have a lot in common. We're New Yorkers, Jewish. We have a very easygoing relationship."[52]

Johansson is a Global Ambassador for the aid and development agency, Oxfam.[53] On March 14, 2008, a UK-based bidder by the name of Bossnour paid £20,000 for a 20 minute date with Johansson on an online auction for Oxfam on eBay. The bidder paid for a hair and make up treatment and the chance to accompany Johansson on her July premiere of He's Just Not That Into You.[54]

[edit] Political advocacy

Johansson is a Democrat. In 2004, she campaigned for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election.[8] She was quoted as saying of George W. Bush's re-election, "[I am] disappointed. I think it was a disappointment for a large percentage of the population."[55] Johansson campaigned for Barack Obama in Iowa on January 2, 2008; her efforts were targeted at small groups of younger voters, including Cornell College students[56] and students at St. Paul Central Senior High School on Super Tuesday. She has also taken part in the anti-poverty campaign ONE which was organized by U2 lead singer Bono.[8] According to the FEC website, she has not donated any money to the Obama campaign.

Johansson appeared in the 2008 music video for Black Eyed Peas front man Will.i.am's song, "Yes We Can", directed by Jesse Dylan. The song was inspired by a speech delivered by Barack Obama following the 2008 New Hampshire primary.

[edit] Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1994 North Laura Nelson
1995 Just Cause Kate Armstrong
1996 Manny & Lo Amanda limited release
If Lucy Fell Emily
1997 Home Alone 3 Molly Pruitt
1998 The Horse Whisperer Grace MacLean
1999 My Brother the Pig Cathy Kaldwell
2001 The Man Who Wasn't There Rachael 'Birdy' Abundas
An American Rhapsody Zsuzsi/Suzanne Sandor (at 15)
Ghost World Rebecca
2002 Eight Legged Freaks Ashley Parker
2003 Girl with a Pearl Earring Griet Golden Globe nomination
Lost in Translation Charlotte Golden Globe nomination; BAFTA win
2004 In Good Company Alex Foreman
A Love Song for Bobby Long Pursy Will Golden Globe nomination; limited release
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Mindy voice
The Perfect Score Francesca Curtis
2005 Match Point Nola Rice Golden Globe nomination
The Island Jordan Two Delta/Sarah Jordan
2006 The Prestige Olivia Wenscombe
The Black Dahlia Katherine 'Kay' Lake
Scoop Sondra Pransky
A Good Woman Meg Windermere limited release
2007 The Nanny Diaries Annie Braddock
2008 The Other Boleyn Girl Mary Boleyn
Vicky Cristina Barcelona Cristina awaiting release
He's Just Not That Into You Anna post-production
The Spirit[57] Silken Floss post-production

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio album

[edit] References

  1. ^ Prommer, Stephanie. Style Profile: Scarlett Johansson. About.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-23.
  2. ^ a b "Mary Stuart Reigns Again - in Ireland", The Observer, 2008-04-27. Retrieved on 2008-04-27. 
  3. ^ "Scarlett Johansson's a Jew, too", JTA, 2008-03-23. Retrieved on 2008-03-23. ; Scarlett Johansson. Scarlett Johansson.
  4. ^ Neil Young (6 January 2004). A period film made by someone who hates period films – Peter Webber on Girl with a Pearl Earring. Neil Young's Film Lounge. Retrieved on 2006-04-12.
  5. ^ a b c James Kaplan. "More Than A Pretty Face", Parade, 2007-03-11. 
  6. ^ A.J. Jacobs. "Scarlett Johansson Is the Sexiest Woman Alive, 2006", Esquire, 2006-10-31. 
  7. ^ Anthony Weiss. "The Scarlett Grandma", The Jewish Forward, 2006-04-07. Retrieved on 2006-04-12. 
  8. ^ a b c d Ryzik, Melena. "Local favourite", The Sydney Morning Herald, 2007-09-17. Retrieved on 2007-09-16. 
  9. ^ "Academy Invites 127 to Membership", Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 2004-06-28. 
  10. ^ Jeannette Walls. "Scarlett Johansson escapes Cruise's clutches", MSNBC, 2005-06-20. Retrieved on 2006-07-18. 
  11. ^ Sheila Roberts. Black Dahlia Interview: Scarlett Johansson. MoviesOnline. Retrieved on 2006-09-13.
  12. ^ Owen Gleiberman. "'Black Dahlia' a stylish misfire", CNN, 2006-09-15. Retrieved on 2006-09-15. 
  13. ^ "Stylish `Black Dahlia' recalls crime dramas of the 1940s", Kalamazoo Gazette. Retrieved on 2006-09-15. 
  14. ^ Bob Dylan Short Film Details. UltimateGuitar.com. Retrieved on 2006-09-15.
  15. ^ "Scarlett Johansson Is The Other Boleyn Girl", MovieWeb, 2006-07-17. Retrieved on 2006-07-18. 
  16. ^ Jeffrey Stinson. "Hollywood Enters the Era of Scarlett", 2007-08-22. Retrieved on 2007-08-23. 
  17. ^ Josh Tyler. "Scarlett Johansson As A Femme Fatale", 2007-08-17. Retrieved on 2007-08-23. 
  18. ^ "Scarlett Johansson working triple time with new features", Actress Archives, 2007-08-17. Retrieved on 2007-08-23. 
  19. ^ "Scarlett to play Mary Queen of Scots", In The News, 28 September 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-28. 
  20. ^ James Inverne. "Lloyd Webber Wants Scarlett Johansson for London Sound of Music", Playbill News, 9 May 2005. Retrieved on 2007-08-23. 
  21. ^ Karen Price. "I would never mime on stage", August 17, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-08-23. 
  22. ^ Jeff Leeds. "Scarlett Johannson to sing with Jesus & Mary Chain?", YahooMusicNews, 2007-04-28. Retrieved on 2007-04-28. 
  23. ^ Roger Friedman. "Scarlett Johansson Record Deal in the Works", FOX NEWS, 2006-10-16. Retrieved on 2006-10-16. 
  24. ^ "Stars Shine in Maurice: Studio Gets Visit from A-list Johansson". Retrieved on 2007-08-07. 
  25. ^ "A Johansson debut", Boston Globe, August 4, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-08-23. 
  26. ^ "Movie Minute: Hot Rod", MTV, 3 August 2007. Retrieved on 2007-08-23. 
  27. ^ "Scarlett Johansson: From Actress to Singer", Cleveland Leader, 2007-08-29. Retrieved on 2007-08-29. 
  28. ^ Kharas, Kev (2008-02-14). David Bowie to guest on Scarlett Johansson's Tom Waits covers record. Drowned in Sound.
  29. ^ Whiteside, Max (2008-01-09). Scarlett Johansson to Release Album in May. andPOP. Retrieved on 2008-04-22.
  30. ^ nymag.com, The Genius of Scarlett Johansson
  31. ^ washingtonpost.com, Scarlett Johansson Is Almost Nowhere On 'Anywhere'
  32. ^ metacritic.com, Anywhere I Lay My Head by Scarlett Johansson
  33. ^ music.guardian.co.uk, Scarlett Johansson, Anywhere I Lay My Head
  34. ^ www.observer.co.uk, Scarlett Johansson, Anywhere I Lay My Head
  35. ^ nme.com, Scarlett Johansson - Anywhere I Lay My Head
  36. ^ "Justin Timberlake, Beyonce lead MTV Video Music Awards with 7 nods each", 2007-08-08. Retrieved on 2007-08-23. 
  37. ^ "Could Scarlett Johansson be Woody's next muse?", Reuters. Retrieved on 2006-07-25. 
  38. ^ "Johansson Ex Writes a Song About Her", TeenHollywood, 2006-09-10. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. 
  39. ^ "Josh Hartnett confirms split from Scarlett Johansson", Fametastic, 2007-01-31. Retrieved on 2007-02-08. 
  40. ^ Messer, Lesley. "Scarlett Johansson & Ryan Reynolds Step Out in NYC", People, 2007-04-07. Retrieved on 2007-09-19. 
  41. ^ "Scarlett Johansson, Ryan Reynolds Engaged". Retrieved on 2008-05-05. 
  42. ^ Scarlett & Ryan Engaged!
  43. ^ Sarah Womack; John Hiscock. "Everyone should have HIV test twice a year, says Johansson", Daily Telegraph, 2006-10-11. Retrieved on 2006-12-05. 
  44. ^ "Scarlett Johansson: 'I'm Not Promiscous'", Washington Post, 2006-10-09. Retrieved on 2006-10-10. 
  45. ^ Polly Vernon. "Polly Vernon meets Scarlett Johansson: Scarlett fever", The Observer, 2003-12-28. Retrieved on 2006-08-09. 
  46. ^ "Johannson Disgusted With Hollywood Attitude To Weight", TeenHollywood, 2006-09-15. Retrieved on 2006-09-15. 
  47. ^ Maxim's 2007 Top 100. MAXIM. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  48. ^ "Esquire: Scarlett Johansson 'Sexiest'", Washington Post, 2006-09-29. Retrieved on 2006-09-29. 
  49. ^ "Scarlett is Playboy's sexiest celeb 2007", The Hollywood News, 2007-02-20. 
  50. ^ Jordan Hiller. Movies that bang – Match Point (2005). BangItOut. Retrieved on 2006-07-18.
  51. ^ "Scarlett Johansson slams God acceptance speeches", FemaleFirst. Retrieved on 2006-07-18. 
  52. ^ Stinson, Jeffrey. "Hollywood enters the era of Scarlett Johansson", USA Today, 2007-08-22. Retrieved on 2007-09-19. 
  53. ^ "Scarlett Johansson, Oxfam Ambassador", Oxfam International, 2007-07-xx. Retrieved on 2008-02-12. 
  54. ^ "Fan pays £20,000 to date Scarlett", 2008-03-14. Retrieved on 2008-03-15. 
  55. ^ "Johansson: Americans disappointed by Bush's re-election", ContactMusic, 23 August 2005. Retrieved on 2006-07-18. 
  56. ^ "Obama, Scarlett Johansson and a Facebook Primary", TheNation, 2008-01-03. Retrieved on 2008-02-12. 
  57. ^ Borys Kit. "Mendes moved to join 'Spirit'", The Hollywood Reporter, 2007-08-22. Retrieved on 2007-08-22. 

[edit] External links

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Awards
Preceded by
Nicole Kidman
for The Hours		 BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
for Lost in Translation
2004		 Succeeded by
Imelda Staunton
for Vera Drake
Preceded by
Naomi Watts
2002		 Hollywood Film Festival Award for Breakthrough Acting - Female
2003		 Succeeded by
Keira Knightley
2004
Persondata
NAME Johansson, Scarlett
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Actress
DATE OF BIRTH 1984-11-22
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City, New York, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH