The 40-year-old actress, known for her roles in both action and drama, told Collider that humor plays a key role in her life. She’s married to Colin Jost, a comedian and writer on Saturday Night Live, and says their shared sense of humor keeps things grounded.
“My husband’s a comedy writer. I couldn’t imagine being with someone who wasn’t funny,” she said. “I grew up in a funny household. My dad’s Danish with a dry sense of humor. My mom’s Jewish, so humor is part of that culture. Growing up in New York added another layer to it. I even find humor in bad situations.”
Johansson recently directed her first film, Eleanor the Great, a drama starring June Squibb and Chiwetel Ejiofor. She said the project reminded her of indie films from the 1990s and early 2000s that focused on New York life.
“I didn’t have a list of references going into it,” she said. “But the script felt like the kind of films I love—Living Out Loud, Crossing Delancey, or even some Woody Allen films. Very New York-centric. That vibe inspired me.”
She also reflected on Lost in Translation as a major moment in her career. The 2003 film, where she starred opposite Bill Murray, changed how people saw her.
“After that movie, I kept getting offers to play the girlfriend, the other woman, the object,” she told Vanity Fair. “It became a pattern I couldn’t break. It felt like that was all I was going to be seen as.”
