Scarlett Johansson Earns Second Spot On ‘Highest Paid’ List
Scarlett Johansson has earned the number two spot on the highest-paid actresses list, and although it’s still pretty shy of the payday her male co-stars earned for the Avengers films, $35.5 million in a year is nothing to sneeze at. According to Forbes, Johansson was able to pull off her slow-but-steady rise in the industry by combining indies and big-budget fare, ensuring that she made a name for herself with a much wider audience than if she had simply stuck to one or the other.
“Johansson, 30, has built a sustainable career by balancing commercial and quirky fare, really hitting her stride when she began starring as the Black Widow in Marvel movies. The box office success of Iron Man 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron, which grossed a combined $2.7 billion worldwide, proved that she can hold her own in a billion dollar franchise,” wrote Natalie Robehmed.
Indeed, Johansson had quite a fanbase built already among those who had seen her in films like Lost In Translation and Ghost World before she moved on to the blockbusters, and she had proven her bankability by earning gigs as the face of Calvin Klein, L’Oreal, and Louis Vuitton ads. Topping several “Sexiest Woman Alive” lists didn’t hurt, either.
Scarlett recently opened up about what it’s like to be a new mom, saying that she loves it even though it can be “overwhelming” at times. And for her, that’s what it’s all about; “sex symbol” is secondary and certainly not what she wants to be thought of.
Johansson’s next project will team her up with dozens of stars, but it’s something for the small screen. Scarlett will join Kristen Bell, Stephen Colbert, Matthew McConaughey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Renner, Ryan Seacrest, and Jessica Williams for the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Think It Up roadblock, broadcast telethon. The event will air across several networks on September 11 and will encourage viewers to donate to various teacher/student programs via DonorsChoose.org. The organization is led by a committee that features Vicki Phillips of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and she released a statement recently about what the project means to teachers around the country.
“I am delighted to be in on the ground floor of Think It Up. EIF has had a remarkable track record with Stand Up to Cancer, having shined a spotlight and rallied Americans around an important challenge that affects us all. At this critical moment in public education, EIF is answering the call once again. Think It Up is an unprecedented effort to build a national movement to support the powerful bond between students and teachers in the important work of learning. Only EIF can harness the power and influence of Hollywood to create a culture of optimism and excitement around what is possible in our nation’s schools,” Phillips said.
[Photo courtesy CBS/David Letterman]
