Scarlett Johansson was rejected from iconic movies such as The Parent Trap and The Craft, but still managed to break into Hollywood.

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Scarlett Johansson began acting at a very young age. Ever since she made her film debut in the fantasy comedy North in the mid-90s, she’s appeared in more than 75 movies and TV series, including The Avengers, Her, Lost in Translation, and Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City. In fact, her movies have grossed more than $14 billion worldwide, making Johansson one of the highest-grossing box office stars of all time!

Although she’s now one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Scarlett Johansson had to work hard to get to where she is today. In fact, the Black Widow star was rejected for many iconic roles before she got her big break. In fact, she lost roles to other iconic stars such as Lindsay Lohan, Anne Hathaway, and Kristen Dunst.

Scarlett Johansson Lost Many Iconic Roles Before Getting Her Big Break In Hollywood

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Scarlett Johansson was only ten when she landed her first professional acting gig in the 1994 film North, starring opposite Elijah Wood. But before she got this role, the actress was rejected from other more popular movies.

During an interview for the Howard Stern Show, Johansson revealed that she was up for the part in “Jumanji” that eventually went to Kirsten Dunst. “That is true, yeah,” the Black Widow star said, admitting that she didn’t dwell upon losing out on the role and even went to see the movie once it came out in theaters. “I wasn’t bitter enough then. Now, I’m bitter.”

Shortly after making her Hollywood debut with North, a then-12-year-old Johansson auditioned for the lead role of Sarah Bailey in the cult-classic movie The Craft, but the role went to a 22-year-old Robin Tunney. She also lost out a role to Lindsay Lohan! Johansson auditioned to play long-lost twins Hallie Parker and Annie James in Disney’s 1998 reboot of The Parent Trap.

However, the role went to Lohan, kickstarting her career. “I was too old for that movie when I auditioned for it,” she explained, admitting that she still hasn’t seen this iconic movie. “Maybe when it came out, I was also too old to watch it.”

Although she managed to make a name for herself in Hollywood, Johansson also lost some iconic roles later on in her career. She lost the lead role in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to Rooney Mara.

“I really, really wanted that film because I felt I had something to contribute to it and I think Fincher just had a different vision for that characte, and Rooney Mara is, honestly, so perfect in it,” she admitted. She also lost the role of Fantine in the 2012 musical remake of Les Misérables to Anne Hathaway.

Scarlett Johansson Feels Like She Was Typecast During The Early Stages Of Her Career

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Despite losing out on some very iconic roles, Scarlett Johansson managed to make a name for herself in Hollywood. After North, Johansson appeared in movies such as Manny & Lo (1996), The Horse Whisperer (1998), and Ghost World (2001). Then, in 2003, she tried to take on some more “adult” roles by starring in movies such as Lost in Translation and Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Although these two roles were significant for her career, Johansson has now admitted that appearing in these films resulted in her being pigeonholed for most of her career. “I did Lost in Translation and Girl With the Pearl Earring, and by that point, I was 18, 19, and I was coming into my own womanhood and learning my own desirability and sexuality,” the actress admitted. “I was kind of being groomed in a way to be this, what you call this ‘bombshell’ type of actor.”

Although she admits that being a “Hollywood bombshell” helped her land popular roles like Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Johansson claims that this also limited her work options.

“I kind of became objectified and pigeonholed in this way where I felt like I wasn’t getting offers for work for things that I wanted to do. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I think people think I’m 40 years old.’ It somehow stopped being something that was desirable and something that I was fighting against,” the actress revealed. Luckily, Johansson has managed to change the course of her career over the years!

Despite Having A Hard Time Breaking Into Hollywood, Scarlett Johansson Now Has A Massive Net Worth

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Scarlett Johansson now has a $165 million net worth. Reportedly, Johansson was only paid $400,000 for her role in Iron Man 2 back in 2010. However, her salary grew exponentially as Marvel movies gained more popularity, reaching a showstopping $20 million salary for the standalone Black Widow movie!

But she had to work hard to amass her fortune. The actress was rejected many times when she was just getting started, only seeming to land roles in indie films. But she kept on acting and, slowly but surely, managed to appear in several blockbusters.