Scarlett Johansson has a very diverse and prolific career in Hollywood, making her one of the highest-paid actresses in the industry. With her dazzling beauty and versatile acting skills, it’s no wonder she made it big. However, it was not an easy journey to enter the world of glitz and glamor.
Coming from a low-income family struggling to make ends meet, Johansson ensured it wouldn’t get in the way of achieving her dreams. Her mother, Melanie Sloan, was very supportive of what she wanted to do despite their financial challenges.
How Scarlett Johansson’s mother shaped her acting career
Scarlett Johansson continues to star in blockbuster franchises after her lucrative deal with Marvel Studios. She will soon appear in the highly anticipated Jurassic World: Rebirth, another high-profile project added to her portfolio. She is one of the most in-demand stars today, but this wasn’t the case when she started venturing into Hollywood.
Growing up in New York City, she was raised by her parents, Karsten Johansson, a Danish architect, and Melanie Sloan, a housewife. As a family, they suffered from money problems and frequently relied on public assistance.
Like a true-born New Yorker, Johansson was exposed to Broadway shows and classic movies. This was when Sloan noticed her daughter showed genuine interest in acting.
At age 7, a friend of Sloan suggested taking Johansson and her siblings to an audition. When the Lost in Translation star was not chosen, she was really devastated. Sloan spoke to her daughter and asked her if she was really serious about acting and that she must really commit to it and not just do it casually.
Speaking with the Australian Daily Telegraph (via E! News), the 40-year-old actress shared what her mother told her before getting into the industry:
She just made us feel that you could do whatever you wanted to do, as long as you really wanted to do it, and that’s why I got into acting.
Sloan instilled in her daughter the importance of putting in the hard work because passion is not enough. And, as mentioned, she had to dedicate her whole time and effort to getting into the job, not just purely seeking her fortune by chance.
Melanie Sloan shielded her daughter from industry predators
Starting in the industry as a child star was very tricky for Johansson. The business is infested with people taking advantage of newcomers and young stars, the reason why Johansson’s mom made sure to always look out for her.
The actress revealed her mother protected her as a child actor by setting boundaries and keeping Johansson away from creepy people. Despite being a stage mom, Sloan taught her daughter the importance of getting an education and making sure she gets enough rest in between tapings.
Johansson is lucky to have a supportive mother who believed in her dreams, not letting their financial issues clip her daughter’s wings. Now, all those sacrifices paid off!
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
