Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance ‘is not possible’ despite Hollywood success

Scarlett Johansson has said she does not believe true work-life balance exists, despite becoming one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors and building a career spanning film, business and parenting.

Speaking to CBS Sunday Morning, the Black Widow star said accepting that balance is difficult was an important step in managing both professional and personal responsibilities.

“I think actually admitting that there is no work-life balance is the first step to getting there in a way because it’s just not possible,” Johansson said.

The actor explained that there will often be a “deficit” either at work or at home and said she has become more accepting of the fact that not every responsibility can be managed perfectly at all times.

“I’ve learned to be more kind to myself in that way. You can’t do all of these things all the time,” Johansson added. “There’s just like, ‘Is it good enough?’”

Johansson, who has two children born in 2014 and 2021, said her understanding of success has changed over time as she balances acting, family life, marriage and her skincare business.

Reflecting on parenting, she said, “Somebody once told me, ‘If you’re successful as a parent like 75% of the time, that’s good—if you’re doing 75% of it like right, then you’re winning, which is probably true.”

According to the report, Johansson was the fourth highest-paid actor in 2025 behind Adam Sandler, Tom Cruise and Mark Wahlberg. Estimates place her net worth at around $165 million.

The discussion around work-life balance has also been echoed by other actors. Emma Watson previously said the demands of filmmaking made maintaining balance “almost impossible” while working in the industry from a young age.