Colin Jost Jokes About How to Say Scarlett Johansson’s Surname

Colin Jost has offered a lighthearted clarification about his wife Scarlett Johansson’s surname.

During a recent appearance hosting Pop Culture Jeopardy!, the Saturday Night Live star—who married Johansson in 2020—responded to a viewer question about whether the actress’s last name should be said with a "Joe" sound or a "Yo" sound.

Jost joked that he could not be sure because, as he put it, he has not exactly met her face to face yet. He then said he would rather hear the pronunciation directly from her.

After the joke, he admitted that he does not use the Danish-style version. Instead, he said he would call it "Joe-hansson," while teasing that he hardly ever says the name aloud anyway.

He also shared a bit of family background, explaining that Johansson’s roots are Danish and that her surname likely once had a more Scandinavian pronunciation. Jost added that his own family name probably had a different sound in Germany before it was anglicized over time.

The comedian then turned the exchange into another punchline, saying their ancestors must have somehow arranged for the two of them to end up together. He later shut down a follow-up question about whether he and Weekend Update co-host Michael Che are friends in real life, joking that no second question had been allowed.

Jost has often mined his relationship with Johansson for comedy. The pair first crossed paths when she hosted SNL in 2006, and they began dating in 2017 before marrying three years later. In his memoir A Very Punchable Face, Jost also recalled writing a sketch for Johansson and jokingly described it as one of his earliest love notes to her.