On Walk of Fame, ScarJo Thanks Jewish Mom
Image by Getty Images
Jewish mothers — the butt of so many jokes — don’t always get the respect they deserve. For that reason, the Shmooze commends Scarlett Johansson for specifically thanking her own Jewish mother as she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Wednesday.
Posing in front of her star in a black and white silk print dress, red pumps and an upswept hairdo, ScarJo said it was her mom, Melanie Sloan, whom she had to thank for her success. No stereotypical pushy Jewish mothers came to mind as the actress, 27, explained how her mother has supported her throughout her life and career.
“One of the most important things [my mom] did growing up was that she always said to me that I could do whatever I wanted as long as I really, really wanted it,” Johansson reflected in a conversation with a CNN reporter. “It allowed me to constantly sort of reassess what my priorities were and it grounded me in a way, and allowed me to come back to square one and say, ‘What am I doing here, and why am I doing it?’”
The actress continued speaking along those lines, remarking that all children “should be doing something because they’re passionate about it and for no other reason.”
Johansson mentioned that she thinks that the lessons she learned from her mother about how to live her life have spilled over into aspects of her career, especially the characters she has chosen to play. “I think that’s something for me that’s a very important quality to sprinkle over the characters that I play. To have women who are independent, strong and have a lot of conviction,” she said.
The Shmooze is certain that Sloan will take this lovely tribute as an early Mother’s Day gift from her loving and grateful daughter. It’s something for all of us to keep in mind as the holiday approaches. We may not call and we may not write, but at least this one time a year, we should tell our Jewish mothers how they did right by us.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
