Scarlett Johansson shines at Cannes 2025 with a standout double presence: competing officially in Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme and making her directorial debut with Eleanor the Great, featured in the Un Certain Regard section. A gifted actress discovered young, a Marvel blockbuster star, and muse to demanding filmmakers, she’s also a sharp feminist voice who’s never shied away from speaking her mind. Let’s take a closer look at the key facets of this American actress.
A precocious star who became the world’s highest-paid actress
Born in Manhattan, Scarlett Johansson holds dual nationality: American, through her Ashkenazi Jewish mother, and Danish, through her architect father. She grew up alongside her twin brother Hunter and got an early start in the performing arts, dabbling in tap dance, theater, and auditions. By age ten, she was already acting in North (1994), but it was Robert Redford’s The Horse Whisperer (1998) that truly introduced her to the wider public.
The 2000s cemented her talent with acclaimed roles in Ghost World (2001), Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation (2003), and Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003), earning her worldwide recognition. Before turning 40, she worked with cinema legends like Woody Allen (Match Point, Scoop, Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Brian De Palma (The Black Dahlia), Christopher Nolan, Luc Besson (Lucy), the Coen brothers, and Wes Anderson.
In 2010, she joined the Marvel universe as Black Widow, appearing in eight films including Avengers: Infinity War (2018), one of the highest-grossing movies ever. With Black Widow (2021), which she co-produced, she earned nearly $20 million and became Hollywood’s highest-paid actress. Yet, she chose to step away from superhero roles to focus on more personal cinema.
A powerful voice, outspoken spirit, and committed feminist
Scarlett Johansson is also known for her unique voice. In Spike Jonze’s Her (2013), she voices Samantha, an AI with an alluring sensuality. Though unseen on screen, her vocal performance won an award at the Rome Film Festival. She also lent her voice to Kaa in The Jungle Book (2016) and to the animated musical Sing.
In May 2024, she publicly accused OpenAI of using a voice similar to hers for ChatGPT, sparking an outcry that led the company to change the chatbot’s tone.
A multifaceted artist, Johansson has also pursued music, collaborating with Bob Dylan and Justin Timberlake, and releasing two albums: Anywhere I Lay My Head (2008), featuring Tom Waits covers with David Bowie’s vocal support, and Break Up (2009), inspired by the Gainsbourg-Bardot duo.
On the activism front, she was among the first to financially back Time’s Up, the movement born from #MeToo to support harassment victims. She responds sharply to sexist comments about her looks or outfits: “I hate being called ScarJo. It sounds tacky, lazy, and dismissive.”
Her frankness can be divisive. In 2018, she sparked controversy by supporting Woody Allen amid sexual assault allegations: “I love Woody, I believe him, and I’d work with him anytime.” More recently, she stirred debate by accepting (then stepping back from) the role of a transgender man and stating, “I should be able to play anyone—even a tree.”
Often predicted to win but frequently criticized, Johansson has yet to claim an Oscar despite two 2020 nominations for Marriage Story (Best Actress) and Jojo Rabbit (Best Supporting Actress). Some big missed roles include Fantine in Les Misérables (won by Anne Hathaway), Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn, a part she declined herself.
At Cannes, caught between a glorious past and a promising future, Scarlett Johansson embodies a vital figure in global cinema: a versatile artist, an actress of conviction, and a committed woman who appeals to both Hollywood and indie circles. Whether in front of or behind the camera, her presence continues to captivate and spark conversation—just like any true star.