Miss Scarlett

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...........................................Since her birth in 1984 to parents Karsten and Melanie Johansson, Scarlett has had a self-described "fire in her brain" to act. During her youth, Scarlett's father Karsten (who is of Danish decent) worked as a Manhattan building contractor while her mother Melanie looked after Scarlett and her three siblings. Scarlett's family had no theatrical background, so her early entrance to the industry was almost accidental. A friend of Melanie's, who adored the "cute little Johansson family," suggested Scarlett and her siblings audition for a few commercial and TV roles. Melanie took the kids to an agency to perform a cold reading, but the agents showed interest only in Adrian. It was about what Melanie had expected. What she didn't expect, however, was the reaction of her youngest daughter, Scarlett, who threw a hysterical fit right there in the office. For the first time, Melanie realized how desperately Scarlett wanted to "make it" on TV and in films.After she realized the seriousness of her daughter's commitment to acting, Melanie enrolled her daughter in New York's Lee Strasberg Theater Institute for Young People. At the tender age of eight, Johansson made her acting debut opposite Ethan Hawke in an off-Broadway production of "Sophistry." Her film debut came shortly after when she scored a supporting role in Rob Reiner's comedy "North" (1994). Following her debut, Johansson went on to act in "Just Cause" (1995) and "If Lucy Fell" (1996) until she stumbled upon her breakout film role as a restless foster child in "Manny and Lo" (1996). Johansson's portrayal of wild yet sage Manny attracted the attention of important members of the industry and garnered her an Independent Spirit nomination. Scarlett's acting career continued steadily after the success of "Manny and Lo" and in 1998 she scored the part of Grace Maclean in Robert Redford's adaptation of "The Horse Whisperer" when Natalie Portman was unable to take the role. This role afforded Johansson the opportunity to work with acting legend Robert Redford and earned her a nomination for a Young Artist Award. Her work with with seasoned actors such as Sean Connery, Robert Redford and Billy Bob Thornton at a young age gave Scarlett the experience that set her apart from her acting peers.And unlike most other child actors Scarlett's childhood acting career has parlayed into an equally successful career as an adult. In recent years Johansson has starred in such critically acclaimed films as Sofia Coppola's brilliant "Lost in Translation" and "The Girl With the Pearl Earring".It doesn't look like she's going to slow down any time soon. In 2005 Johansson is slated to star in an adaptation of James Elroy's novel "The Black Dahlia," which tells the fictional account of the 1947 murder of Hollywood actress Elizabeth Short.