Scarlett Johansson Surprised Family With Today Show Guest Hosting Gig
Scarlett Johansson revealed that some of her loved ones were surprised she wanted to guest host the fourth hour of 'Today' with Jenna Bush Hager
Scarlett Johansson and Jenna Bush Hager. TODAY
Scarlett Johanssonâs childhood dream of being a morning show host is one not many of her loved ones knew she had.
âI cannot believe it,â the actress, 40, exclaimed while stepping in as Jenna Bush Hagerâs cohost on the Tuesday, January 21, episode of Today With Jenna & Friends. âAnd more importantly, everyone in my life canât quite believe it either. ⌠The people that knew me very well were like, âYou are living your dream. I am so happy for you.â The people that did not know me as well were like, âWhatâs going on? Are you OK?ââ
Johansson noted that as a kid, she would look at herself âin the mirror with a shampoo bottle, and Iâm like, âGood morning, everyone, and I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Whatâs happening in your neck of the woods?â All of that stuff.â
While Johansson wished to be a Today host, Bush Hager, 43, wished for the opposite. âYour life was my dream. I wanted to be a Broadway star, but I was not talented,â she told Johansson, who previously appeared on Broadway in the plays A View From the Bridge and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. âI wasnât talented. I canât sing, for one, but my mom would drive me to try out for Les MisĂŠrables even though I was, like, kind of a chunky Texas [kid.] ⌠Not my vibes.â
Related: A Guide to Jenna Bush Hagerâs âToday With Jenna and Friendsâ Cohosts
TODAY Jenna Bush Hager is starting a new era of the Today showâs fourth hour. Following Hoda Kotbâs final episode on January 10, Today With Hoda & Jenna relaunched under the new title Today With Jenna & Friends. Bush Hager, 43, will appear alongside a rotating panel of celebrity guest hosts until Kotbâs official replacement [âŚ]
Johansson is the fifth celebrity to join Bush Hager on Jenna & Friends following Hoda Kotbâs exit from Today earlier this month. Taraji P. Henson, Eva Longoria, Keke Palmer and Michelle Buteau took on cohosting duties last week, while Johansson will sit alongside Bush Hager through Friday, January 24.
In celebration of Johanssonâs first day in the role, she and Bush Hager got to know each other through a game of âBest Friends Five.â When asked whether they are an early bird or a night owl, Johansson revealed that her late-night tendencies made it hard for her to wake up that morning.
Nathan Congleton/NBC
âMy phone was on silent, which was really cool. I barely slept a wink last night because I was going, âOh, my gosh. My alarmâs not gonna go off,ââ she explained. âAnd then, at some point, I thought, âI must rest,â and so I kind of rested. And then, I woke up to pee, and I was [like], âWhy is it daylight outside?â And that was how I woke up this morning, so I rushed here. But Iâm a night owl and an early bird because I have two kids and thatâs how it goes.â
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While answering whether they prefer to receive flirty text or love notes, Johansson got jealous when Bush Hager said her husband, Henry Hager, âsometimesâ writes her romantic letters. âI feel gypped,â she quipped, poking fun at her husband, Colin Jost.
Related: Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jostâs Relationship Timeline
Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jostâs love story is one for the books. The Golden Globe nominee and the Saturday Night Live star were first spotted together in May 2017 at an afterparty celebrating the NBC variety showâs season 42 finale. One year later, he called Johansson his âgirlfriendâ during a âWeekend Updateâ segment on SNL. [âŚ]
While Bush Hager said the two of them could talk to Jost, 42, about it, Johansson added: âNot even gonna tell you which kind of emojis Iâm getting.â (The couple, who wed in 2020, share daughter Rose, 10, and son Cosmo, 3.)
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Johansson previously got to fulfill her Today hosting dream by joining Al Roker for his weather report following a November 2024 interview on the show. âIâve been directed by Scarlett Johansson,â Roker, 70, stated at the time. After sharing a hug with the weatherman, Johansson asked, âDid I get the job?â
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