“Scarlett Johansson’s Early Acting Gig: Dominating the Spelling Bee Circuit with Bad Spelling Skills”

At just nine years old, Scarlett Johansson landed her very first paid acting gig on a skit for Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Even at that young age, it was clear that she had a knack for performing. The segment aired on March 15, 1994, and saw Scarlett play the role of Sarah Hughes, a spelling bee champion who struggles to spell even the most basic of words. Despite misspelling words like lugubrious, sesquicentennial, and apology, Sarah is still celebrated for her efforts. Now, as a two-time Oscar nominee and former child star, Scarlett has come a long way since her early days on the small screen.

Cute! Two-time Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson was only nine when she scored her 'first real paying acting job' on a sketch on Late Night with Conan O'Brien

Adorable! Scarlett Johansson, a two-time Oscar nominee, landed her “first real paying acting job” at the tender age of nine in a sketch on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. The studio audience was in on the joke, causing Conan’s loyal sidekick, Andy Richter, to receive hisses and boos. To cheer up Scarlett, Conan invited her to be his sidekick for the rest of the show, which she eagerly accepted. The talk show host complimented her, saying that she was terrific. Scarlett made four more appearances on Conan’s talk shows, once in 2003 when she looked back on her “embarrassing piece of acting.”

Throwback! The 36-year-old former child star made her small-screen debut as spelling bee champion Sarah Hughes in a segment taped for the March 15, 1994 episode

Looking back in time! The once young celebrity, now 36 years old, had her first appearance on television playing the role of Sarah Hughes, a champion speller in a segment that was recorded for an episode aired on March 15, 1994.

Oops! In it, Sarah is lauded despite misspelling every word she attempts including lugubrious, sesquicentennial, and apology

Oh no! Sarah is being praised even though she misspelled every single word she tried to spell, including big words like “lugubrious,” “sesquicentennial,” and “apology.”

'I hate to seem like a jerk': This exasperates Conan's loyal sidekick Andy Richter (L), who receives hisses and boos from the studio audience clearly in on the joke

Andy Richter, Conan’s faithful companion, is fed up with his constant apologies as he says “I hate to appear like a jerk.” The crowd in the studio is aware of the humorous situation, and they express their displeasure with his behavior through mocking hisses and boos.

The 58-year-old talk show host (R) asked: 'Hey Sarah, I know what will cheer you up. How would you like to be my sidekick for the rest of the show. Would you like that?'

A 58-year-old host of a talk show offered Sarah a chance to be his sidekick for the remainder of the show in an attempt to cheer her up. When asked about her past experiences with the show, Sarah fondly remembered a big redheaded man and how Andy was thrilled to see her as his biggest fan. She still cherishes the signed picture he gave her. Sarah’s first professional acting job was at the young age of eight, where she played a part in Playwrights Horizons’ Sophistry stage production at the Studio Theater in 1993. Nicholas Martin’s off-Broadway play included other renowned actors such as Ethan Hawke, Calista Flockhart, Anthony Rapp, and Steve Zahn.

After the fourth grader gushed she'd 'love' to be his sidekick, O'Brien smiled: 'You're terrific'

O’Brien smiled in response to a fourth grader who expressed her desire to be his sidekick, saying “You’re fantastic!”

'I remember this big redheaded man': Scarlett appeared on Conan's talk shows four more times, including in 2003 when she reminisced about her 'embarrassing piece of acting'

One particular memory that stands out for me is of a tall, ginger-haired man. Scarlett made several appearances on Conan’s talk show, and one of the most memorable was in 2003 when she opened up about her cringe-worthy acting moment.

Johansson recalled: 'And I remember Andy, after the show, he was just thrilled that I was his biggest fan at the time. He gave me his signed picture and I still have it'

Johansson reminisced about her encounter with Andy, who was overjoyed to learn that she was his biggest fan at the time. He even gave her a signed picture which she still treasures. From there, Scarlett went on to star in various movies such as North, Manny & Lo, The Horse Whisperer, and Ghost World until she landed her breakthrough role in Lost in Translation in 2003, directed by Sofia Coppola. This paved the way for her to receive numerous accolades such as a Tony Award, Independent Spirit Award, honorary César Award, and MTV Generation Award. On June 29, Scarlett’s husband of eight months, SNL head writer Colin Jost, celebrates his 39th birthday. Moreover, he is set to release his memoir, A Very Punchable Face, on July 14.

Hard work and good luck: The native New Yorker then scored roles in North, Manny & Lo, The Horse Whisperer, and Ghost World before landing her breakout role in Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation in 2003 (pictured with Bill Murray)

Through a combination of tireless effort and serendipitous opportunities, a New York resident was able to secure various roles in films such as North, Manny & Lo, The Horse Whisperer, and Ghost World. However, it was her performance in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation in 2003, co-starring with Bill Murray, that truly propelled her career forward.

Esteemed: Scarlett went on to win many trophies including a Tony Award, Independent Spirit Award, honorary César Award, and MTV Generation Award (pictured May 16)

Scarlett achieved great success in her career and was awarded several prestigious awards, such as a Tony Award, Independent Spirit Award, honorary César Award, and MTV Generation Award. The picture from May 16 captures this memorable moment.

Newlyweds: On June 29, Johansson celebrates the 39th birthday of her husband of eight months - SNL head writer Colin Jost (R) - whose memoir A Very Punchable Face drops July 14

Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost, who tied the knot eight months ago, are celebrating Jost’s 39th birthday on June 29. Fans can also look forward to Jost’s upcoming memoir, A Very Punchable Face, which is set to release on July 14. Meanwhile, Johansson will be reprising her role as former KGB assassin Natasha Romanoff in the highly anticipated prequel Black Widow, which has a whopping $200M budget. The movie will hit UK theaters on July 7 and US theaters on July 9, and marks Johansson’s first solo film in the Marvel Comics Universe. Alongside Johansson, the movie features an impressive ensemble cast including Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour, William Hurt, and Ray Winstone.

Scroll to Top