Actress Profile: Scarlett Johansson

Source: Warner Bros

SCARLETT JOHANSSON has segued from being an award-winning child actress to one of the most sought-after leading ladies in the industry. A four-time Golden Globe nominee, she garnered her latest nomination in 2006 for her performance in the dramatic thriller "Match Point," which marked her first of three collaborations with director Woody Allen. The year before, she was nominated for her work opposite John Travolta in the independent drama "A Love Song for Bobby Long." In 2004, she earned dual Golden Globe nominations: one for the title role in "Girl With a Pearl Earring," and a second for her performance in Sophia Coppola's sophomore film, "Lost in Translation," in which she starred with Bill Murray. In addition, she was recognized with BAFTA Award nominations for both films, winning the Best Actress Award for "Lost in Translation." Johansson's work in "Lost in Translation" also brought her honors from several critics groups, and she won the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival.

Over just the past four years, Johansson has starred in ten very different films, including the acclaimed Woody Allen film "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," with Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz; "The Other Boleyn Girl," opposite Natalie Portman and Eric Bana; "The Nanny Diaries"; Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige," with Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman; Woody Allen's "Scoop"; and Brian De Palma's "The Black Dahlia." Her most recent film is Frank Miller's "The Spirit," based on Will Eisner's comic book.

A native New Yorker, Johansson began her acting career at the age of eight in the off-Broadway production of "Sophistry," with Ethan Hawke. She made her film debut in Rob Reiner's comedy "North," and was also seen in such films as "Just Cause," "If Lucy Fell," and the critically praised "Manny & Lo," for which she earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead.

However, it was in Robert Redford's 1998 drama "The Horse Whisperer" that Johansson delivered a breakthrough performance as a teenage girl traumatized by a terrible riding accident. Two years later, she again garnered acclaim for her work in Terry Zwigoff's "Ghost World," winning a Best Supporting Actress Award from the Toronto Film Critics Circle.

Johansson's additional film credits include the Coen brothers' "The Man Who Wasn't There," Michael Bay's "The Island," and the Weitz brothers' "In Good Company."