Scarlett Johansson has spoken candidly about what it’s really like trying to manage a hugely successful career while raising a family, saying the notion of a flawless work-life balance isn’t realistic.
The actor, who Forbes reported earned $43 million in 2025 to top the list of the year’s highest-paid actresses, discussed the pressure of “having it all” during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, noting that achievement doesn’t magically make the juggling act simpler.
Johansson’s personal life is busy as well as her professional one. She married Saturday Night Live comedian and writer Colin Jost in October 2020.
Together they have a son, Cosmo, born in August 2021. Johansson is also a mother to an 11-year-old daughter, Rose, whom she shares with her former partner, French journalist Romain Dauriac.
Alongside parenting, she continues to take on major screen roles and has expanded into business as the founder of skincare brand The Outset. Before Jost, she was married to actor Ryan Reynolds from 2008 to 2011.
When it comes to parenting, Johansson says her mindset has eased with time. She recalled advice she once received that helped her reframe what “good” looks like day to day.
“Somebody once told me, ‘If you’re successful as a parent like 75% of the time, that’s good. If you’re doing 75% of it like right, then you’re winning,’ which is probably true.”
She also explained that letting go of an impossible standard is key.
“I think actually admitting that there is no work-life balance is the first step to kind of getting there in a way, because it’s not possible,” Johansson said.
“There’s always something that is… there’s a deficit in some area, and I think you have to be… I learned to be kinder to myself. You can’t do all of these things all the time.”
Johansson has previously shared details about her upbringing as well. In a 2017 interview with Entertainment Tonight, she said her family of six relied on public assistance while living in Manhattan.
“We were living on welfare, we were on food stamps. My parents were raising four kids in a low-income household in Manhattan. So, it was a lot,” she said at the time.
Her rise to stardom also came with intense scrutiny. Looking back on the early 2000s, Johansson has described it as “a really harsh time” for young women navigating fame, especially given how openly appearance was judged.
“I think women were just pulled apart for how they looked in a way that was socially acceptable at the time, and it was tough,” she told People. “There was a lot placed on how women looked and what was offered at that time for women my age as far as acting roles or opportunities, it was much slimmer than it is now.”
Now, as one of the most recognisable stars in the industry—thanks in large part to her long-running role as Black Widow in the Marvel universe—Johansson’s definition of success appears to be less about perfection and more about sustainability. As she put it herself: “Is it good enough?”Apparently, most of the time, it is