Scarlett Johansson To Receive American Cinematheque Award

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Actress Scarlett Johansson will receive the 35th American Cinematheque Award, it was announced Tuesday. The award is presented each year to "an extraordinary artist currently making a significant contribution to the art of the Moving Picture," according to the organization.

"Scarlett Johansson's career embodies the essence of the American Cinematheque award," AC board chair Rick Nicita said in a statement. "Her immense talent has shone brightly from her movie debut as a child through her emergence as a megastar of blockbusters. She has acted in adventurous independent films with cutting-edge directors. She has starred in the most commercial of franchises. She has taken leading roles and supporting roles in movies budgeted big and small.

"Whenever she graces the screen with her luminous presence, the audience knows that they will see a dedicated artist at the height of her powers," he said. "We can't wait to share in the next phase of Scarlett Johansson's marvelous career."

Johansson will receive the honor during a Nov. 18 ceremony at The Beverly Hilton. Funds from the award show are used to support the organization and help facilitate public film programming and their in-progress educational program.

The award show will return to it's typical in-person format this year, after shifting to a virtual celebration during the pandemic. Director Spike Lee received the previous American Cinematheque award during the January 14th virtual ceremony.

Previous recipients of the American Cinematheque Award include Eddie Murphy, Spike Lee, George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon, Amy Adams, Bette Midler, Steve Spielberg, Ron Howard, Sean Connery, Jodie Foster, Nicole Kidman, Al Pacino, Julia Roberts and Samuel L. Jackson.

Johansson made her Hollywood debut at 12 years old in "The Horse Whisperer" and later received Oscar nominations for her roles in "Marriage Story" and "Jojo Rabbit." She was the world's highest-paid actress in 2018 and 2019 according to Forbes, earning $56 million in 2019.

Recently, she has played a recurring role as Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow in the "Avengers" blockbuster series. Her other credits include "Lucy," "Ghost in the Shell," "Her," Isle of Dogs, "Hitchcock," "Match Point," "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," "The Prestige," "North" and "The Man Who Wasn't There."

City News Service contributed to this report.