Scarlett Johansson Fulfills Childhood Dream as ‘Today’ Show Guest Host

NEW YORK — Scarlett Johansson fulfilled a lifelong dream Tuesday, January 21, as she stepped in as a guest cohost on NBC‘s Today show alongside Jenna Bush Hager. The 40-year-old actress revealed that hosting a morning show had been a childhood aspiration, a fact that surprised many in her life.

“I cannot believe it,” Johansson exclaimed during the episode. “And more importantly, everyone in my life can’t quite believe it either. The people that knew me very well were like, ‘You are living your dream. I am so happy for you.’ The people that did not know me as well were like, ‘What’s going on? Are you OK?'”

Johansson shared that as a child, she would practice hosting in front of a mirror with a shampoo bottle, saying, “Good morning, everyone, and I hope you had a wonderful weekend. What’s happening in your neck of the woods?” Meanwhile, Bush Hager, 43, admitted her own childhood dream was to be a Broadway star, though she joked about her lack of talent. “I wanted to be a Broadway star, but I was not talented,” she said. “I can’t sing, for one, but my mom would drive me to try out for Les Misérables even though I was, like, kind of a chunky Texas [kid].”

Johansson’s appearance marks the fifth celebrity guest host on Today With Jenna & Friends, a new format following Hoda Kotb‘s departure earlier this month. Previous guest hosts included Taraji P. Henson, Eva Longoria, Keke Palmer, and Michelle Buteau. Johansson will cohost through Friday, January 24.

During the show, Johansson and Bush Hager played a game of “Best Friends Five,” where Johansson revealed her struggles as a night owl adjusting to the early morning schedule. “My phone was on silent, which was really cool. I barely slept a wink last night because I was going, ‘Oh, my gosh. My alarm’s not gonna go off,'” she said. “And then, at some point, I thought, ‘I must rest,’ and so I kind of rested. And then, I woke up to pee, and I was [like], ‘Why is it daylight outside?'”

Johansson also playfully expressed jealousy when Bush Hager shared that her husband, Henry Hager, sometimes writes her love notes. “I feel gypped,” Johansson quipped, referencing her husband, Saturday Night Live star Colin Jost. The couple, who married in 2020, share a 3-year-old son, Cosmo. Johansson also has a 10-year-old daughter, Rose, from her previous marriage to Romain Dauriac.

This isn’t Johansson’s first time on the Today show. She previously joined Al Roker for a weather segment, where she jokingly asked, “Did I get the job?” after directing Roker during the broadcast. Roker, 70, later remarked, “I’ve been directed by Scarlett Johansson.”

Johansson’s guest-hosting stint comes as part of a rotating lineup of celebrities filling in alongside Bush Hager until a permanent replacement for Kotb is announced.