Born Nov. 22, 1984, in New York City, Scarlett Johansson is that rarest of Hollywood commodities: a child actor who's made the transition to adult roles easily and gracefully. Acting on the New York stage by age 8 (opposite Ethan Hawke in "Sophistry"), she made her film debut two years later in Rob Reiner's North.

In 1996, Johansson's work in Manny & Lo caught the attention of Robert Redford, who cast her as Kristin Scott Thomas' daughter in The Horse Whisperer, a role that brought her widespread critical acclaim. From there, it was on to a co-starring role (opposite Thora Birch) in director Terry Zwigoff's Ghost World.

Johansson's sensitive turn opposite Bill Murray in Lost in Translation (2003) cemented her reputation as a serious, almost-grown-up actress, and she's worked steadily since in films, including The Girl with the Pearl Earring, The Island and Woody Allen's Match Point (2005). ... - from Netflix