SCARLETT JOHNSON

Making the leap from TV soap star to film actor is fraught with complication, with many finding it difficult to shake off their TV persona. Scarlett Johnson is about to prove it can be done. Known for her role as Vicki Fowler in the BBC's EastEnders, Johnson has been lying low since leaving the show in 2004, honing her talent on stage. Now she has begun to focus on the big screen. In Noel Clarke's Adulthood, released in the UK last month, she gives a scene-stealing performance as a tough twentysomething who dreams of a life free from drugs and violence. She has also just completed Imago Mortis, a horror film by Italian director Stefano Bessoni, and is attached to two independent films, one in the UK and the other in Los Angeles. 'I never set out with a plan,' says Johnson. 'But I'm very fortunate to have worked with good people so far. I'm not interested in generic characters; I'm only interested in doing work I'll learn from.'