When Scarlett Johansson was 9 years old, she made her feature film debut in the 1994 movie North, and for the last three decades, she’s been working consistently. So, obviously, she’s put in way more than 10,000 hours of work. Now, as she prepares to release her projects on the 2025 movie schedule, she’s sharing her feelings on the number of hours it takes to become an expert, and she did not hold back.
With the exception of 2000 and 2020, Scarlett Johansson has worked every year since her on-screen debut in 1994. And according to Malcolm Gladwell, it takes 10,000 hours of practice to achieve a level of expertise. I think it’s safe to say Johansson surpassed that number a very long time ago, and she agrees, as she told THR:
Whatever the 10,000 hours part of it is [to master something], I’ve quadrupled that. I grew up on sets, and I’m a huge sucker for efficiency. Even in my job as an actor, I can read a call sheet and tell you exactly what’s going to make us fall behind and what we’ll owe the next day.
If you take one look at Scarlett Johansson’s list of best movies, this claim will immediately be backed up. From Oscar-nominated darlings like 2003’s Lost in Translation as well as 2019’s Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit to blockbuster smashes like Avengers, Avengers: Endgame, or any of the other great Marvel movies she’s done, she has 100% accumulated more than 10,000 hours of work. She also has a resume that cements her as one of the most successful actors working right now.
For reference, 10,000 hours equates to about 416 days or roughly a year and change of time. Scarlett Johansson has consistently worked for 31 years. So, it’s safe to say she’s far beyond your basic expert level. As she said, she’s at a point in her career where she can simply read a call sheet and know how long something will take; that’s how in tune with the process she is.
Now, she’s taking that expertise behind the scenes, too. That’s right, this year the film Eleanor the Great will come out, and it’s directed by Scarlett Johansson. This marks the first feature film the actress has ever helmed, and it’s a thrilling jump in her career.
The movie stars June Squibb, and while chatting with the outlet about her director, she gushed about Johansson’s natural ability behind the camera:
With her knowledge as an actress, she knew immediately what I was doing, where I was going and how I was shifting everything. That’s wonderful because you don’t often have that. I’ve worked with wonderful directors that don’t have that kind of knowledge like Scarlett does.
It only seems natural that the 95-year-old actress would have glowing things to say about her director. The Black Widow star has worked on tons of different projects and knows the ins and outs of the business, it makes perfect sense that all her work would translate over to directing.
On top of directing, Johansson is also still getting her acting hours in. This year, Jurassic World Rebirth will be released on July 2, and both the actress and her co-stars have been hyping up the film and comparing it to Jurassic Park. She’s also set to star in a Wes Anderson film, The Phoenician Scheme, which hits theaters on June 6. So, not only is she adding to her 10,000+ hours, she’s also showing off her range as a performer.
Overall, I think Scarlett Johansson’s words ring true for her career, and she’s proven over and over again that she’s one of the best. Thankfully, she has no plans of slowing down either, so we’ll get to keep watching her expert work for years to come.