Through his work as a celebrity chef, Food Network star Bobby Flay has amassed his fair share of A-list friends over the years — one of whom is Hollywood superstar Scarlett Johansson.
Earlier this month, when Johansson, 41, was co-hosting NBC’s morning television show “Today,” the actress invited Flay, 61, to join her for a cooking segment.
On the Monday, December 29, episode of his podcast, “Bobby on the Beat,” Flay spoke about the circumstances that resulted in him appearing on the show, and about an idea of his that Johansson flat-out rejected prior to his appearance alongside her.
Scarlett Johansson Wanted Bobby Flay to Cook Something Different
GettyFlay told his podcast listeners, “Scarlett Johansson texted me and said, ‘What are you making?’ because she asked me to be on the show to cook because she’s going to co-host.”
He continued, saying, “I said, ‘I think I’m going to make a holiday pork chop’ and she was like, ‘I don’t want that.’ She’s really into food and that’s why, when she asked me to be on, I was like, ‘What do you want?’ Because she really cares.”
The chef then said Johansson requested he make some “tasty hors d’oeuvres,” which ultimately resulted in him preparing crab meatballs, chicken wings, devilled eggs, and goat cheese and bacon croquettes — all of which Johansson very much approved of.
Flay admitted to having “a hard time deciding what to make,” given how many possible hors d’oeuvres he could have picked from, but he did say the whole experience “was really fun!”
Johansson Has Enjoyed a Busy 2025
GettyJohansson’s stint as a co-host on “Today” brought to an end a hugely successful 2025 for the actress.
In addition to appearing in the critically acclaimed black comedy thriller “The Phoenician Scheme” and the hugely successful sci-fi action blockbuster “Jurassic World Rebirth,” Johansson also made her directorial debut.
The star of “The Avengers” and “Lost in Translation” directed the comedy-drama “Eleanor the Great,” which received predominantly positive feedback from fans and critics alike.
It followed the eponymous Eleanor Morgenstein, a 94-year-old woman played by the wonderful June Squibb, who strikes up an unlikely friendship with 19-year-old student Nina Davis, played by Erin Kellyman, in New York City.
In 2026, she’s set to voice a character in Brad Bird’s animated neo-noir sci-fi action comedy “Ray Gunn,” while MCU fans will be spending the whole year wondering if she’ll somehow reprise her role as Black Widow in the highly-anticipated superhero team sequel “Avengers: Doomsday.”
We can’t wait to find out if she does!
Wow. CAN WE SAY PRIVILEGED?? Bobby Flay should have cooked what he decides to cook, not that she felt she wanted. Ugh