Scarlett Johansson thinks child stardom can be a "dangerous thing"

Speaking to Vanity Fair magazine, Scarlett explained: "Making decisions on your own - like, adult decisions as a kid - it's a dangerous thing, right?"

The Hollywood actress has seen other child stars struggle to cope with the pressures of fame and success.

But Scarlett is thankful that she "dodged a lot of it".

She said: "I lived through that and also was very fortunate that I dodged a lot of it."

Scarlett starred alongside Bill Murray in 'Lost in Translation', the 2003 comedy-drama movie, and she now recognises the film as a turning point in her career.

The actress explained: "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."

Scarlett recalled feeling uncomfortable with how she was portrayed at the time.

The movie star said: "You come into your sexuality and your desirability as part of your growth, and it's exciting to blossom into yourself. You're wearing the clothes you want, you're expressing yourself, then you suddenly turn around and you're like, 'Wait, I feel like I'm being' - I don't want to say exploited because it's such a severe word.

"That term is so heavy, but yeah, it was a kind of an exploitation."

Meanwhile, Scarlett previously thanked her family for helping her to navigate the potential pitfalls of child stardom.

The actress observed that her parents implemented strict "boundaries" during her younger years, and that helped Scarlett to remain stable, despite the pressures of fame and success.

The film star - who is now one of the best-paid actresses in Hollywood - told Variety: "You need your parents to set boundaries and hold you accountable and keep you away from, like, weird people. I was really fortunate that I had that."