Five Things to Know about Scarlett Johansson

Actress Scarlett Johansson is in Cannes making her directorial debut and as star of a new Wes Anderson film. KEVIN WINTER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Actress Scarlett Johansson is in Cannes making her directorial debut and as star of a new Wes Anderson film. KEVIN WINTER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
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Five Things to Know about Scarlett Johansson

Actress Scarlett Johansson is in Cannes making her directorial debut and as star of a new Wes Anderson film. KEVIN WINTER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Actress Scarlett Johansson is in Cannes making her directorial debut and as star of a new Wes Anderson film. KEVIN WINTER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

One of Hollywood's top-grossing actresses, Scarlett Johansson will walk the red carpet twice at Cannes, for her directorial debut with "Eleanor the Great" and for Wes Anderson's film "The Phoenician Scheme", which premieres Monday.

Here are five things to know about the teen star turned Hollywood A-Lister:

Starlet Scarlett

When baby Johansson was born into a Jewish family in Manhattan in 1984, early signs suggested stardom was ahead.

Her parents named her after Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind", and at a young age she was drawn to tap dance and theatre.

Barely into double-digits she made her screen debut, and soon after Robert Redford cast her in "The Horse Whisperer" for her first major role.

Then, just shy of 20, she hit the big time with Sofia Coppola's art-house classic "Lost in Translation".

In the film, which unfolds in the alienating surroundings of a Tokyo hotel, Johansson manages to touch the heart of an ever-sardonic Bill Murray as well as charming spectators and critics worldwide.

Cha-ching!

Over the next decades, Johansson has starred in a string of hits and top directors have queued up to cast her, from Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers to Jonathan Glazer and Christopher Nolan.

Catapulting her into movie stratosphere, she joined the Marvel universe as the indomitable Black Widow in 2010 and made eight films with the franchise.

During this collaboration she topped the Forbes list of highest-paid actresses and featured in hits including "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018), one of the top-10 highest grossing films of all time according to IMDB Pro.

Other missions

But Johansson the box-office megastar has also missed out on, or sidestepped, plenty of big roles.

There was a potential "Mission Impossible" movie but this was shelved, officially due to scheduling clashes.

She did not land the lead in "Les Miserables", which went to Anne Hathaway, who won an Oscar for it, nor did she get Lisbeth Salander in "Millennium".

But she was plenty busy, often starring in lower-budget films that wowed critics and audiences.

These included a stand-out performance as an alien in Jonathan Glazer's remarkable "Under the Skin" (2013), shot in wintery backstreets, abandoned houses and seedy minivans.

So far, she has not won an Oscar, but she was nominated for best actress and supporting actress in 2020 for her roles in indie favorites "Marriage Story" and "Jojo Rabbit".

That voice

It is unmistakable and Johansson has capitalized on it, though sometimes with unwanted repercussions.

She brought her deep, distinctive vocals to the voice of Samantha in "Her" (2013) by Spike Jonze, about an artificial intelligence system Joaquin Phoenix falls for.

But in May last year Johansson accused tech firm OpenAI of using her voice in their own generative AI ChatGPT, which responded by modifying its tone.

She can also be heard in hit animations including "The Jungle Book" and the two "Sing" films.

Johansson has also released two albums, "Anywhere I Lay My Head" in 2008 and a year later "Break Up".

They did not rock the music world, but reviewing the inaugural album, Pitchfork called it a "curio" while praising the "wide textural range" of Johansson's voice.

Against the grain

Never reluctant to speak her mind, Johansson has been outspoken on various social and film-related issues.

She has supported victims of harassment, pushed for gender-equal pay and spotlighted the impact of streaming on theatrical releases.

She is also willing to take more controversial stances, not least in defending Woody Allen -- who has cast her in three films -- when much of Hollywood has shunned him over a long-running sexual assault scandal.

"I love Woody. I believe him, and I would work with him any time," she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2019.



Singer Rosalia Quits Milan Concert with Food Poisoning

Rosalia is shown after winning the best international artist at the Brit Awards in February. Adrian Dennis / AFP/File
Rosalia is shown after winning the best international artist at the Brit Awards in February. Adrian Dennis / AFP/File
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Singer Rosalia Quits Milan Concert with Food Poisoning

Rosalia is shown after winning the best international artist at the Brit Awards in February. Adrian Dennis / AFP/File
Rosalia is shown after winning the best international artist at the Brit Awards in February. Adrian Dennis / AFP/File

Spanish singer Rosalia was forced to interrupt a concert in Italy halfway through due to food poisoning, according to fan footage posted on social media.

The 33-year-old Grammy-winning singer was performing at the Unipol Forum in Milan on Wednesday, when she stopped to tell the crowds she was feeling unwell, said AFP.

"I've tried to do this show. Since the beginning I've been sick. I've had big time food poisoning," she said in English in a video posted on X.

"I've tried to push it until the end, but I'm feeling extremely sick. I'm puking out there. I really want to give the best show, and I'm like in (on) the floor," she said.

After saying she would try to carry on if physically possible, a sad-looking Rosalia eventually blew a kiss to the crowds and -- with a hand on her stomach -- walked off stage.

Rosalia, hailed for her genre-defying versatility, was in Milan as part of a tour which began in France earlier this month and will end in Puerto Rico in September.

The singer, who won best international artist at the Brit Awards this month, has earned widespread praise for her fourth album "Lux".

The sweeping, spiritual work, released at the end of last year, marks a departure from her previous flamenco and R&B rhythms.

The album features lyrics sung in 13 languages including German, English and Sicilian in addition to her native Spanish.


Heavy Metal Memorabilia on Offer at Julien’s ‘Music Icons’ Auction

 Executive director and Co-founder of Julien's Auctions Martin Nolan poses with Kiss original lead guitarist Ace Frehley's #1 1974 "Budokan" Triple Pickup Gibson Les Paul Custom, Cherry Sunburst guitar at the Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus, in London, Britain, March 24, 2026. (Reuters)
Executive director and Co-founder of Julien's Auctions Martin Nolan poses with Kiss original lead guitarist Ace Frehley's #1 1974 "Budokan" Triple Pickup Gibson Les Paul Custom, Cherry Sunburst guitar at the Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus, in London, Britain, March 24, 2026. (Reuters)
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Heavy Metal Memorabilia on Offer at Julien’s ‘Music Icons’ Auction

 Executive director and Co-founder of Julien's Auctions Martin Nolan poses with Kiss original lead guitarist Ace Frehley's #1 1974 "Budokan" Triple Pickup Gibson Les Paul Custom, Cherry Sunburst guitar at the Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus, in London, Britain, March 24, 2026. (Reuters)
Executive director and Co-founder of Julien's Auctions Martin Nolan poses with Kiss original lead guitarist Ace Frehley's #1 1974 "Budokan" Triple Pickup Gibson Les Paul Custom, Cherry Sunburst guitar at the Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus, in London, Britain, March 24, 2026. (Reuters)

From an ‌array of guitars to stage-worn costumes, memorabilia from the world of heavy metal is on offer in Julien's Auctions upcoming "Music Icons" sale and on display in London over coming weeks.

Items belonging to Ace Frehley, the original lead Kiss guitarist, are among the highlights, including a 1977 tour jacket.

The star lot is the 1974 Gibson ‌Les Paul ‌Ace #1, used on stage and in ‌the ⁠studio by Frehley, ⁠who died last year. It has a price estimate of $400,000 - $600,000.

"He was tremendously attached to this guitar... it’s part of his history," Martin Nolan, executive director and co-founder of Julien's Auctions, told Reuters at ⁠a press preview on Tuesday at London's ‌Hard Rock ‌Cafe in Piccadilly Circus.

"And sadly, he's no longer ‌with us. So the guitar and ‌the items of clothing that he wore are the conversation pieces that keep that legacy alive, keep that memory alive."

Guitars played by Metallica's ‌Kirk Hammett and Motley Crue co-founder Mick Mars among others are ⁠also ⁠on offer in the auction.

A selection of the lots will be on display in the windows of London's Hard Rock Cafe in Piccadilly Circus until April 13, before going on show at Hard Rock Cafe Tokyo on April 27.

The "Music Icons" auction, which Nolan said features more than 700 items across genres, will take place May 29-30 at Hard Rock Cafe Times Square in New York.


Now a True Pop Star, Miley Cyrus Returns to her 'Hannah Montana' Roots to Fete Anniversary Special

Miley Cyrus attends the world premiere for the television show "Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special" in Los Angeles, California, US, March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Miley Cyrus attends the world premiere for the television show "Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special" in Los Angeles, California, US, March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
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Now a True Pop Star, Miley Cyrus Returns to her 'Hannah Montana' Roots to Fete Anniversary Special

Miley Cyrus attends the world premiere for the television show "Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special" in Los Angeles, California, US, March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Miley Cyrus attends the world premiere for the television show "Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special" in Los Angeles, California, US, March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Sporting that “Hannah Montana” blonde hair and bangs, Miley Cyrus went back to her roots — celebrating 20 years of the TV show that launched the career of a real-life pop star.

Cyrus reunited with cast members of “Hannah Montana” in Los Angeles Monday evening for the premiere of the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special.”

Cyrus told The Associated Press that the milestone has given her a chance to see the character and series from “a new perspective.” Cyrus, who began the Disney Channel show at age 13, played Miley Stewart, a tween and middle-schooler hiding her secret life as a famous pop singer.

“Getting to be on the outside now, getting to be grown and be a part of it in a way that I couldn’t when I was in the middle of it before, and all the chaos and the schedule and the performing of it all,” Cyrus said, “now it just gets to be a celebration. So it is a new perspective. I love that.”

The anniversary special, which started streaming Tuesday on Disney+ and Hulu, celebrates 20 years since the show’s premiere. Filmed in front of a live audience, it features music, archival footage and an interview with Cyrus — now 33 and a genuine pop star — conducted by podcast host Alex Cooper.

Addressing the audience at the premiere, Cyrus paid tribute both to fellow cast members and fans. “Without you all, this show would have never been what it is, and I love saying what it is, not what it was,” she said.

“Tonight isn’t about looking back into the past, but it’s about what it means to us still tonight,” she said.

Jason Earles, who played Miley’s brother Jackson, told the AP that watching the show now highlights how much time has passed.

“I think if you go back and you watch the episodes, there’s enough dated references like old flip phones and stuff that you go, ‘Oh no, no, this show was a little while ago,'” he said.

Cody Linley, who played Miley’s on-and-off boyfriend Jake Ryan, reflected on the impact of portraying a teen heartthrob.

“It’s hard to believe that there were girls that had pictures of me with my shirt off in their locker and they would have me sign it,” Linley said. “And it’s hard not to let it go to your head, because you have to remember that it’s an image that they are seeing. It’s not you.”

Also attending the premiere was country singer Lainey Wilson, who recalled working as a “Hannah Montana” impersonator early in her career.

“From 8th grade to 12th grade, five years of my life, I would open up the show as Lainey Wilson, I would run behind a tree and put on my ‘Hannah Montana’ get-up,” the singer said. “I did birthday parties, fairs, festivals ... I was hitting the roads.”