Scarlett Johansson’s Rarely Seen Twin: Her Handsome Brother at a Nonprofit

She’s one of the most popular stars of her generation and recently was crowned the highest-grossing actor of all time after the blockbuster opening of her latest film, Jurassic World Rebirth.

But despite Scarlett Johansson’s high-profile stature, one aspect of her family life has remained under the radar: the fact that she has a fraternal twin brother.

The 40-year-old Avengers star and her twin brother Hunter Johansson were born on November 22, 1984, in Manhattan.

Hunter could have been destined for stardom like his sister, as he acted alongside her in 1996’s Manny & Lo, but he ultimately opted not to follow her into showbusiness, even though his rugged good looks give his sister a run for her money.

Instead, he has focused on giving back by founding the nonprofit organization Solar Responders in 2017. 

Although he hasn’t shied away from supporting his sister in public, Hunter has opted for an under-the-radar existence that contrasts with Scarlett’s superstardom.

Despite Scarlett Johansson’s high-profile stature, one aspect of her family life has remained stubbornly under the radar: the fact that she has a fraternal twin brother, Hunter Johansson (pictured in 2014) 

The 40-year-old heartthrob has stayed under the radar and rarely posts to social media. He turned away from a potential showbusiness career in favor of focusing on public service and nonprofits

The two have stepped out in public together multiple times, with Hunter accompanying his twin sister to galas and premieres, though their red carpet appearances seem to have have dwindled in the wake of her marriage to Saturday Night Live star Colin Jost, 43.

Despite being one of the biggest film actors on the planet, Scarlett keeps a surprisingly low public profile by not using social media (mostly). Yet Hunter is even more reserved.

Although he maintains an Instagram account, he has gone months and even years between posts, which has added to his mysterious aura.

Hunter has flown so far under the radar in recent years that fans instantly perked up when Scarlett simply mentioned him in passing in an interview from earlier this year.

Hunter’s passion project is his nonprofit Solar Founders, which he saw the need for after Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017, leading to the longest blackout in US history. 

The lack of power was devastating to first responders who were left in the dark and with dwindling backup diesel supplies, so Solar Responders attempts to prevent them from ever being put in the same situation by installing solar panels to power fire stations, thereby helping to keep safe those requiring emergency assistance.

Like her brother, Scarlett was moved by the plight of Puerto Ricans, and she joined a staged reading of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town with her Avengers costars Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner in Atlanta in 2017 to help raise funds for the island. 

In 2019, she and her husband Colin traveled to Puerto Rico to assist Hunter’s non-profit by installing solar panels on a fire station.

Hunter’s nonprofit installs solar panels directly on fire stations in Puerto Rico so that first responders are able to access power even amid blackouts from natural disasters 

After stints at the University of Vermont and New York University, Hunter focused on politics, working as a community organizer for former Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, before working for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign

In a 2015 profile for Parade, Scarlett gushed that she feels ‘very connected’ to her twin brother.

‘He’s the most golden-hearted person,’ she said of Hunter. ‘I think a lot of people spend their life looking for a partner, someone to be a mirror to reflect upon, to remind them that they’ve lived.

‘You want someone to tell you what he witnesses in your life. My twin brother has always been that for me,’ she said.

In the same profile, Hunter mused on how their run-of-the-mill childhood in New York City began to shift as Scarlett became an in-demand actress as an adolescent.

‘When we were growing up in New York City, we led very normal city lives,’ he recalled. ‘We rode the subway to public school, went on trips with our grandma to the beach and museums. 

‘When we entered high school, and her career started to grow and moviegoers would approach her in public, that’s when I would sometimes ride with her in a cab to school,’ he admitted.

Hunter noted that it’s now nearly impossible for his twin sister to find times where she can move about unnoticed in public.  

‘When those rare instances happen, I am reminded of a time before her celebrity, when we were kids, and I treasure that,’ he said. ‘She is my other half. Nothing is more important to me than my twin.’

In the profile, Scarlett gushed that she feels ‘very connected’ to Hunter. ‘He’s the most golden-hearted person,’ she said. ‘I think a lot of people spend their life looking for a partner, someone to be a mirror to reflect upon, to remind them that they’ve lived. You want someone to tell you what he witnesses in your life. My twin brother has always been that for me,’ she said

He made a rare public statement on Instagram on June 13, more than a year and a half since his last post, in which he shared his support for Israel’s controversial bombing of Iran over its disputed claims that Iran was getting close to creating a nuclear weapon

As their lives diverged due to Scarlett’s success on screen, Hunter focused on his education by attending the University of Vermont and New York University. 

Scarlett also applied to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, but after she was rejected she decided to put her education on hold to focus on her career. 

After his university studies, Hunter focused on politics, working as a community organizer for Scott Stringer after he was elected to be Manhattan Borough President in 2005. 

Later, he worked on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. 

In 2014, Hunter showed his devotion to New York City by hosting a benefit with his sister to help fund repairs in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

He made a rare public statement on his Instagram page on June 13, more than a year and a half since his last post, in which he shared his support for Israel’s controversial bombing of Iran over its disputed claims that Iran was getting close to creating a nuclear weapon.

‘I stand with Israel,’ Hunter captioned a closeup selfie in which he prominently displayed a Star of David necklace. ‘We must use all available resources to prevent the Iranian regime from developing a nuclear weapon.’