Before Scarlett Johansson became a Hollywood star and two-time Oscar nominee, she landed her first real acting job on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” at nine.
In a sketch for the March 15, 1994 episode, Johansson played a spelling bee champion named Sarah Hughes, who hilariously misspelled every word she attempted.
The segment featured Conan’s sidekick Andy Richter, who grew increasingly frustrated as Sarah failed to spell words like “lugubrious,” “sesquicentennial,” and “apology.”
However, the studio audience found the bit funny, booing Richter when he pointed out Sarah’s mistakes.
To lighten the mood, Conan asked if she’d like to be his sidekick for the rest of the show, to which the young Johansson enthusiastically replied, “I’d love to!” Conan then praised her, saying, “You’re terrific.”
Johansson appeared on Conan’s show several more times, including in 2003, when she recalled her “embarrassing piece of acting.”
During that interview, she remembered Richter fondly, sharing that he gave her a signed picture after the show, which she still keeps.
Before this television appearance, Johansson’s first professional acting gig was at eight years old in Playwrights Horizons’ stage production of “Sophistry,” featuring Ethan Hawke and Calista Flockhart.
From there, her career took off, leading to roles in “North,” “Manny & Lo,” and “The Horse Whisperer.” Her breakout role came in 2003 with Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation.”
Over the years, Johansson has earned numerous accolades, including a Tony Award, an Independent Spirit Award, and an honorary César Award.
She also married “Saturday Night Live” head writer Colin Jost, and her upcoming projects include the Marvel prequel “Black Widow,” hitting UK theaters on July 7 and US theaters on July 9.
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