Scarlett Johansson, Emma Watson, Zendaya and Jennifer Lawrence all became globally famous, but they arrived by very different routes. This article compares those routes using their recorded credits and awards.
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson (Hollywood, English) was born on 22 November 1984 in Manhattan, New York City, USA. The earliest credit in her profile is North (1994), and the most recent listed is Jurassic World Rebirth (2025). She is best known for Lost in Translation, Black Widow, Marriage Story.
Scarlett Johansson began acting as a child in New York, and her early part in The Horse Whisperer, directed by Robert Redford, drew wide attention.
- 2004 — BAFTA Awards: Best Actress (Lost in Translation) — won
- 2010 — Tony Awards: Best Featured Actress in a Play (A View from the Bridge) — won
- 2020 — Academy Awards: Best Actress (Marriage Story) — nominated
- 2020 — Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress (Jojo Rabbit) — nominated
Emma Watson
Emma Watson (Hollywood, English) was born on 15 April 1990 in Paris, France. The earliest credit in her profile is Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), and the most recent listed is Little Women (2019). She is best known for Harry Potter series, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Beauty and the Beast, Little Women.
Emma Watson was cast as Hermione Granger at about nine years old and played the role in all eight Harry Potter films between 2001 and 2011.
- 2014 — UN Women: Goodwill Ambassador (appointment) (HeForShe campaign) — conferred
Zendaya
Zendaya (Hollywood, English) was born on 1 September 1996 in Oakland, California, USA. The earliest credit in her profile is Shake It Up (2010), and the most recent listed is Challengers (2024). She is best known for Euphoria, Spider-Man films, Dune, Challengers.
Zendaya started on the Disney Channel series Shake It Up before moving into film and prestige television.
- 2020 — Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Euphoria) — won
- 2022 — Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Euphoria) — won
- 2023 — Golden Globe Awards: Best Actress – Television Drama (Euphoria) — won
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence (Hollywood, English) was born on 15 August 1990 in Indian Hills, Kentucky, USA. The earliest credit in her profile is The Bill Engvall Show (2007), and the most recent listed is No Hard Feelings (2023). She is best known for Winter's Bone, The Hunger Games, Silver Linings Playbook.
Jennifer Lawrence earned her first Academy Award nomination at 20 for the independent drama Winter's Bone.
- 2013 — Academy Awards: Best Actress (Silver Linings Playbook) — won
- 2014 — BAFTA Awards: Best Supporting Actress (American Hustle) — won
- 2011 — Academy Awards: Best Actress (Winter's Bone) — nominated
Four Routes
- Child actor to adult star — Scarlett Johansson worked from 1994 and broke through as an adult with Lost in Translation.
- Franchise from childhood — Emma Watson spent ten years as Hermione Granger.
- Television first — Zendaya moved from Disney Channel to HBO's Euphoria.
- Indie breakthrough — Jennifer Lawrence was Oscar-nominated for Winter's Bone before The Hunger Games.
Editorial Note on Sources
Every fact in this article comes from the structured, publicly documented data held in our celebrity profiles: dates of birth, official filmography credits, award-body records and publicly confirmed relationships. We do not publish rumours, invented quotes or unaudited net-worth figures. Where an item is only announced rather than released, it is labelled as such. If you spot an error, please let us know through the contact page — corrections are checked and dated.
Conclusion
There is no single path to a lasting screen career; the common thread is a run of well-chosen roles recognised by critics and audiences alike.
Related Profiles
Read the full biographies: Scarlett Johansson, Emma Watson, Zendaya, Jennifer Lawrence.
Deeper Context from the Profiles
The notes below draw on the filmographies of the stars covered in this article, so readers can place each project in its career timeline.
Career context: Scarlett Johansson
In 1994, Johansson appeared in the film North as Laura Nelson. She was roughly 10 at the time, which places the work in her childhood phase.
Johansson's credit list for 1996 includes Manny & Lo, where she appeared as Amanda. She was roughly 12 at the time, which places the work in her childhood phase.
Career context: Emma Watson
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in 2001, features Watson as Hermione Granger. She was roughly 11 at the time, which places the work in her childhood phase.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, released in 2002, features Watson as Hermione Granger. She was roughly 12 at the time, which places the work in her childhood phase.
Career context: Zendaya
Shake It Up, released in 2010, features Zendaya as Rocky Blue. She was roughly 14 at the time, which places the work in her childhood phase. Because it is a television credit, it is listed in the series section of the filmography rather than among feature films.
In 2015, Zendaya appeared in the television series K.C. Undercover as K.C. Cooper. The release came about 5 years after the first credit listed here, when Zendaya was around 19. Because it is a television credit, it is listed in the series section of the filmography rather than among feature films.
Career context: Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence's credit list for 2007 includes The Bill Engvall Show, where she appeared as Lauren Pearson. The release came about 0 years after the first credit listed here, when Lawrence was around 17. Because it is a television credit, it is listed in the series section of the filmography rather than among feature films.
In 2010, Lawrence appeared in the film Winter's Bone as Ree Dolly. By this point she had been working on screen for roughly 3 years, and was about 20 years old. It is one of the titles most often associated with her and is named in the "Known for" field above.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Scarlett Johansson's first film or show?
The earliest credit recorded here is North (1994), as Laura Nelson.
What is Scarlett Johansson known for?
She is best known for Lost in Translation, Black Widow, Marriage Story.
What is Emma Watson known for?
She is best known for Harry Potter series, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Beauty and the Beast, Little Women.
What awards has Emma Watson won?
Notable recognitions include UN Women (Goodwill Ambassador (appointment), 2014).
What is Zendaya known for?
She is best known for Euphoria, Spider-Man films, Dune, Challengers.
What awards has Zendaya won?
Notable recognitions include Primetime Emmy Awards (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, 2020), Primetime Emmy Awards (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, 2022) and Golden Globe Awards (Best Actress – Television Drama, 2023).
What was Jennifer Lawrence's first film or show?
The earliest credit recorded here is The Bill Engvall Show (2007), as Lauren Pearson.
What is Jennifer Lawrence known for?
She is best known for Winter's Bone, The Hunger Games, Silver Linings Playbook.
