Scarlett versus Natalie

Johansson

The Horse connection

Portman was courted to appear in Robert Redford s 1998 adaptation of the blockbuster novel The Horse Whisperer, but she turned it down to make her Broadway debut in the 1997-98 revival of The Diary of Anne Frank.

Johansson ended up starring opposite Redford in the box-office hit, a weepie for which she received excellent reviews.

Winner: A tie. Portman got to make her Broadway debut at the tender age of 16, and Horse Whisperer put Johansson on the cinematic map.