Scarlett Johansson Through the Years: Rare Interviews and More | ET Vault Unlocked

Tonight, Scarlett Johansson. S-C-A-R-L-E-T-T, Johansson is J-O-H-A-N-S-S-O-N. The evolution of a Hollywood icon. The pressure's on! From her first role at just 13. Acting, I don't see as work. It's my dream. To becoming Black Widow. There's nothing as exciting as zipping yourself into a latex cat suit. Her eight Marvel movies with our cameras capturing behind the scenes. Part of being a superhero, I guess. E.T. there for it all. Check this out. Indie films, big swings. It's a nice way to earn a paycheck. And billion dollar blockbusters. As soon as the stunts were over, I just ate like a man-sized cake. Plus, the leading men in her life. Matt, I love you! On camera. You haunted me for the entire film. And off. She's so smart. And the role she always dreamed about. Jurassic Park is one of my favorite films. Finally, a reality. This is really happening. This is E.T. Vault Unlocked, Scarlett Johansson. What more can you ask for? On this Independence Day, who better to celebrate than an O.G. Avenger turned dinosaur hunter, Scarlett Johansson? Welcome to Entertainment Tonight. Scarlett joining another iconic film franchise with Jurassic World Rebirth in theaters now. But we have followed Scarlett's career trajectory from the start, long before she was Black Widow, through all her Hollywood eras. It's Scarlett. S-C-A-R-L-E-T-T. Johansson is J-O-H-A-N-S-S-O-N. Hey, Enid, check this out. Well, I'm still in high school. I'm going into my senior year. I always like to do all kinds of films. I get all kinds of scripts, and, you know, no matter what the budget, or it doesn't matter, interesting scripts come my way, luckily. Have you thought about the fact that, damn, I've kind of been killing the game for almost 30 years now. I've been sort of on my path, and, you know, I love my job now more than I ever have before. Her movies have earned over $14.5 billion worldwide. She's been named one of Time Magazine's most influential people twice. And she was the world's highest paid actress in 2018 and 2019. But when we first met Scarlett, she was a self-assured 13-year-old indie film actress on the verge of breaking through to the mainstream. The pressure's on. Acting, I don't see as work. It's my dream. It's like a dream come true. The Horse Whisperer was Scarlett's first major film. She was handpicked for the part by co-star and director Robert Redford himself. That's it, go on ahead. I call him Booey, and he calls me Boo. It also marked her first time doing a stunt. It was fun to make that scene. Some of them I did by myself, not all of them. I won't take credit for all of them. Flash forward over two decades later to this. The first time we saw Scarlett as the Black Widow, she was kicking butt in Iron Man 2 opposite Robert Downey Jr. and director Jon Favreau. Never take your eye off your phone. That was my first day of work. So for me, it was strange. I was not only acting with the director, which is interesting and fun and challenging, but also, you know, beating the crap out of him. And that was sort of strange. I thought, I hope he lets me keep my job. I remember going to her camera test, and it was embarrassing because we're all kind of going like, oh my God, that's Black Widow. But it's not, it's Scarlett going like, guys, it's a camera test where you stop ogling me. But I think more than anything was she trained like crazy. As soon as the stunts were over, I just ate like a man-sized cake. I was, you know, just like basically, you know, snorting jolly beans. I was just, I couldn't believe it was finally over. I said, stay in the car. What are you wearing? How was it getting in that outfit again? It was fantastic. There's nothing as exciting as zipping yourself into a latex catsuit every day. Scarlett went on to wear that catsuit for a total of eight Marvel movies over the course of 11 years. And our ET cameras were there every time she saved the world. I'm hearing from the cast, from the other guys, that you're getting up doing those 5 a.m. workouts. Yeah, it's all part of the, part of being a superhero, I guess. You have to be, you have to be athletic and, but it's worth it, you know. You know, the goal is to not hurt yourself too badly. She took a lot and it was great. She's a trooper. Well, I did have an awful moment of choreography where I was like, this is terrible. They're like, it's gonna look great. I was like, get me off. Where poor Sebastian Stan, I kind of hung onto on his shoulders and my legs are wrapped around his neck and he's trying to throw me off. I'm like rocking his, I'm like, this is, I'm not sorry. But it was Black Widow's standalone story in 2021 that was Scarlett's crowning achievement. It made her the first Avenger to executive produce her own Marvel movie, but it also made her the first to sue Disney for breach of contract when the studio decided to simultaneously release the film on streaming and in theaters. The dispute was eventually settled out of court. You know, I have bittersweet feelings about it. It's hard, you know, aches a little bit in my heart, but I also love this movie so much. I love this character so much and I feel like it's okay to set it free. It's ending on a high note and I feel really positive about it. But the best part of telling Natasha's story, for Scarlett, it was showing now 10-year-old daughter, Rose, how to be a fierce female. Leaving the legacy like Natasha for, I mean, that's, come on. I mean, Rose's mom paving the way of like female superheroes. Listen, that's pretty cool. That is very cool. I mean, I did, she was pumped about eating Cheerios the other day, cause I was on the box and I was like, are you gonna eat the Cheerios or what? And she was like, it's mama on the box. And I was just like, all right, she'll eat the Cheerios. So how did Scarlett become the accomplished actor that she is today? She did it by taking on diverse roles throughout her career, like the teen comedy, Ghost World, in 2001, and the cult sci-fi, Eight-Legged Freaks, the following year. It's where she first learned to act with imaginary monsters, just like in a Marvel movie. The spiders that weren't really there. It's very strange running from a giant spider when you don't know, when you've never seen a giant spider and there's nothing, there's like a production assistant with like a sandwich in one hand going like, argh, in the other. You're just like, hmm, and you have to act like you're scared out of your wits. But in 2003, she proved she could handle more nuanced roles too, like the romantic dramedy, Lost in Translation. She was just 17 years old when she starred with a then 52-year-old Bill Murray. You really are having a midlife crisis, huh? Her period drama, Girl with a Pearl Earring, with Colin Firth that same year, is where we saw firsthand the chemistry Scarlett has with her leading men. I'm probably more exhausted than you are, actually. Actually, I don't think that's true. No, I think I'm more exhausted. I'm definitely more exhausted. The Perfect Score was the perfect first movie to do with fellow Avenger, Chris Evans. We need your help. What the hell? It sounds like fun. Perfect Score is my homage to the teen movie genre. It was such a great collab, they also did The Nanny Diaries together. 2004's A Love Song for Bobby Long was a casting dream come true when John Travolta signed on. You got me now, honey. You're not alone anymore. It was actually Scarlett's mother that had the idea first to put us together. Yeah. They had read the script two or three years ago and loved it so much, and then Scarlett's mother had said perhaps the good idea here would be John with Scarlett, right? That's how it went, and then it was only John when we became obsessed with finding you, and then we found you and you said yes. By 2005 and at age 20, Scarlett was ready for her first big action movie, The Island, with yet another A-list leading man, Ewan McGregor. Stop. It's a nice way to earn a paycheck, you know? I can't complain, you know what I mean? Get to kiss a handsome guy, you spend the whole day in bed. What more can you ask for? God, it's never nervous, she's a movie star. From Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Hugh Jackman. Man knows every song to every musical ever written, and so do I. To Josh Hartnett, who she dated for almost two years after they filmed The Black Dahlia together. She's so smart and she has such a lightness about her. Scarlett's worked with a who's who of Hollywood actors, even Matt Damon in We Bought a Zoo. Tell us about it, tell us about it. Matt, Matt, I love you, Matt. And she's made some of Hollywood's most memorable movies. Hey, if you don't start undressing me soon, this is gonna turn into a panel discussion. It's so unsexy shooting those scenes, it's like, you know, you'd think it would be very romantic, but then you realize that half the crew is like 60 men standing around eating salami sandwiches. I don't do stuff like this. Stuff like what? Well, I think everybody talks about dating all the time. Yeah. So it's just like kind of. How can you help it? Well, you get like these hot girls, not married, it's fun. This is the dating time. So how do you not sort of have girl talk like that, right? Yeah, I think they just talk about relationships and, you know, it's just inevitable that you're gonna end up talking about, you know, things that are happening to you. You know, I think more than anything, I want my daughter to, you know, to feel comfortable taking risks and know that, you know, you can, that sometimes you fail and then when you win, it's awesome because you did take that risk. And I think that's character building. What are you doing? Tracked you down to give you my phone number. My first impression of you on the movie was you getting fitted for one of the wigs. It looked like a bit of a raccoon on your head. Yeah, you haunted me for the entire time. And this one. With her bucket list job? Jurassic Park is one of my favorite films. I remember seeing it when I was like 11. You know, I was completely enthralled. That was 20 years ago. Scarlett made that wish a reality two weeks ago with the London premiere of Jurassic World. What the hell are those? Oh my gosh, so many pinch me moments on this movie. I remember the first scene that we shot and I was like, this is really happening. I was just, tears in my eyes, I couldn't believe it. And we had so many moments like that. ♪ Should've known better when you came around ♪ I'm just playing a character. You know, I think everybody in their life at one time or another has had someone in their life who was just kind of volatile like that and strangely alluring at the same time. Scarlett Johansson said she had a blast playing the femme fatale in JT's 2007 music video. That's just one twist in a career full of unexpected turns. Here are more fun and surprising facts about the Oscar nominee. She won a Tony Award in 2010, she likes to cook to unwind, and the role that got away? I did a screen test for the movie Gravity that Sandra Bullock is fantastic in and I had to be in like the full, whole space suit thing and sort of pretend I was kind of like floating in space even though I was just sitting in a chair with a helmet on. Okay, so she didn't go to space, but she does have a twin. Is that your brother? Yes, that is my twin brother. What's he think of all this? I think he's a little shocked. He's not used to this. He's used to like, you know, studying wildlife. So did you call him and say, I want to take you to this if you want to come? Yes, I called him and he said, why are you inviting me? And I said, because you're the handsomest guy I know. Another surprise? I'm recording an album of Tom Waits songs and it was great. Scarlett actually has two studio albums under her belt and Dolly's Blessing. The country music icon once said she'd like Scarlett to play her in a movie. Those are big shoes to fill. I'm sure it would be a lot of work, but it would be good work, so. Maybe. If Bill Murray was 52, when you made out with him in Lost in Translation, then what is the minimum age of someone you're willing to make out with tonight? Depends on how much champagne we have at the dinner table. I have to say it was the closest I'll get to a Harvard educator, that's for sure. That's what Scarlett Johansson thought back in 2007 while getting her Hasty Pudding Award. But then came her Harvard-educated third husband, SNL star Colin Jost. What do I like the most about him? I don't know, that's personal. What do you like least about your significant other? More personal. The two first crossed paths in 2006. Scarlett made her SNL hosting debut and Colin was a staff writer. Don't you wish you looked like this? Don't you wish, don't you wish? At the time, Scarlett was in a relationship with Josh Hartnett. They broke up, then she started a whirlwind romance with Ryan Reynolds, and by 2008, they were engaged. So have you started planning yet? No, I'm just enjoying this time, it's very recent. Later that year, the couple exchanged vows in Ryan's native Canada, but two years later, they split. In 2012, Scarlett began dating French journalist, They welcomed daughter Rose in August of 2014 and tied the knot four months later. How's the married life? It's, you know, it's very close. But by 2017, Scarlett filed for divorce, and four days later, she returned to SNL as host for a fifth time. SNL feels like a home to me now. That's when sparks flew with Colin and they went red carpet official at her Avengers Infinity War premiere. Is this the first time you guys have done a red carpet together? I'm just excited to share this experience with him. In 2020, they walked down the aisle during the pandemic lockdown. I think when you can get through what we've all been through, you're like, okay, you're the person you want, you're in the, we're in the foxhole, you know, and we did it, you know, that's really significant. Their most significant achievement, welcoming son Cosmo in 2021. Mom and dad are out on a date night tonight. It's been wonderful, I'm in a baby bliss bubble. Is Rose being a really good big sister? Yeah, she's seven, so she's real, she's very busy. Yeah, it's great. For decades, Scarlett has ruled the red carpet with her next level looks. I like hair and makeup and jewelry and dresses and all of that girly stuff. Fancy, fancy. I'm wearing Armani Privé and it's like, it's like a flower. My friend actually made this dress, and I feel quite naked actually. You are so classic Hollywood. I can hardly breathe. I always like to give a little nod to old Hollywood, a little bit of a, of a wink. From old Hollywood glam to tailored suits to her punk roots, she's not afraid to take a risk. I have no regrets, I have no fashion regrets, other than those damn pleather pants when I was 11. I don't know why my mom let me out like that actually. Okay. She's rocked nose and eyebrow piercings. She has eight tattoos, including this floral back piece and an outstretched owl on her ribs. And when it comes to hair, she's gone from brunette to blonde to red, long to short. And remember this buzzed mohawk or the time she rocked the mullet? I don't feel obligated to reinvent myself. It's what I do, it's what I love. In 2022, Scarlett even launched her own skincare line. Drink a lot of water. Yeah. Not how you look, so just impeccable. Yeah, water and then the two hours it takes to get ready, that's it. It's a weird epidemic that's now happened because you see these people in magazines that are so unbelievably skinny. You go in for like a size eight and you think this is not a size eight. I mean, it's not possible this is a size eight. She's been an outspoken advocate for body positivity. And did you know before she was cast in Iron Man 2, she had never stepped foot in a gym? I've done vegan diets and green and raw and the rabbit food. I'm happiest when I eat the things that I want to eat and in moderation. I adopt too. It floats across my face and I'm, you know, it's that time to eat it. I'm gonna eat the cookie. I'm gonna eat the cookie too. I just won't eat like 12. You're just really ugly. Thanks. They say it's beauty is on the inside and inside you is just awful. You got a growing collection of like grandma cardigans and I've been meaning to talk to you about it. It's cray. Yeah, for some reason, playground insults don't sound believable coming from Scarlett Johansson. We leave you now with more of Scarlett in her own nicer words. There you go, there you go. Good night, everybody. Take care, y'all. I must say, I do miss being a blonde, but I think they do, they might have more fun. It's important to keep your head straight and focus on a goal and do everything you can to try to reach it. It's our responsibility to support one another and lift each other up and to mentor one another, especially in this industry, which can be so cutthroat.