Scarlett Johansson couldn't imagine "being with somebody who wasn't funny".

The 40-year-old actress admits that humor is a huge part of her life, and she thinks it can help her to overcome all sorts of challenges.

The Hollywood star - who is married to comedian Colin Jost - told Collider: "My husband's a comedy writer, and I couldn't imagine ever being with somebody who wasn't funny.

"I grew up in a very funny household. My dad is Danish and has a very dry sense of humor, and my mom is Jewish, so that's culturally a big part of our identity. It's certainly a certain kind of humor, and growing up in New York, that's another layer of it, of course. So, I see the ironic humor, also, in terrible things."

Scarlett recently made her directorial debut with 'Eleanor the Great', the new drama film starring June Squibb and Chiwetel Ejiofor, and she's admitted to being inspired by "very New York-centric" films.

The actress-turned-director - who was born in the Big Apple - shared: "Some people have great references, and I've worked with people that have great references, where they say, 'This is the Bergman moment,' or this or whatever … I don't think I had, really, so many references. Not intentionally.

"But the script did remind me a lot of movies that I love that are specific to independent films from the '90s and early aughts that are very New York-centric, whether it's 'Living Out Loud' or like 'Crossing Delancey' or some Woody Allen films. It felt like the potential for that stuff."

Meanwhile, Scarlett recently cited 'Lost in Translation', the 2003 comedy-drama movie, as a turning point in her career.

The film star - who appeared alongside Bill Murray in the acclaimed movie - told Vanity Fair magazine: "After 'Lost in Translation', every role that I was offered for years was 'the girlfriend,' 'the other woman,' a sex object - I couldn't get out of the cycle.

"It sort of felt like, 'Oh, I guess this is my identity now as an actor.' There wasn't much I could do with that."