Surpassing many other stars, blonde beauty Dakota Johnson has become the seductive Anastasia and has many passionate hot scenes in the movie adaptation that is causing a stir.
More than 100 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide, while the total number of views of the film’s trailer on Youtube is 193 million – those are numbers that speak to the heat of 50 Shades . That is also a huge pressure on the two main actors, especially Dakota Johnson. At the age of 25, this is her first big movie and also the most controversial since she started her career until now.
In 2006, the Texas-born beauty was named “Miss Golden Globe” by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. This award honors the children of entertainers. Dakota Johnson is the third generation of a family with a long tradition in the arts. Her father is actor Don Johnson and her mother is actress Melanie Griffith (ex-wife of actor Antonio Banderas). On her mother’s side, her grandmother is star Tippi Hedren, famous for the film The Birds directed by legendary director Alfred Hitchcock and won a Golden Globe.
With her beauty and passion for art inherited from previous generations, Dakota Johnson had the opportunity to enter showbiz early. Johnson’s first modeling job was at the age of 12, when she participated in a photo shoot for Teen Vogue magazine with the children of other stars. Johnson’s first film Crazy in Alabama (1999) was directed by her stepfather Antonio Banderas. However, Johnson’s family decided to let her pursue an artistic career after completing her studies.
That’s why there was an 11-year gap between her first and next film. After finishing high school, Johnson officially signed a contract with an agency and began her acting career. In 2010, this blonde beauty participated in a supporting role in the critically and commercially successful work The Social Network . She played the one-night lover of programmer Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake).
Fifty Shades director Sam Taylor-Johnson recalls the brief role: “She was one of those faces that just blew you away every time you came on. It was one of those moments where I thought, ‘Man, I need to see more of that girl.’”
Three years later, Taylor-Johnson’s wish officially came true. After a series of little-remembered roles in the films Beastly , 21 Jump Street , The Five-Year Engagement and Need for Speed , Dakota Johnson agreed to play Anastasia Steele – the main character in the film version of the novel 50 Shades of Grey .
Great challenge
Published in 2011, the novel Fifty Shades of Grey by female author EL James has sold over 100 million copies (both printed and e-books) and has been translated into over 50 languages. This work describes the relationship between college student Anastasia Steele and billionaire Christian Grey in a hot and controversial way. The sex scenes in the book are described very realistically and boldly, even mentioning sadomasochism.
In September 2013, Dakota Johnson and actor Charlie Hunnam were chosen to play the two main characters. But just two months later, Hunnam suddenly withdrew from this awaited project due to disagreements with the script and fear that the film would affect his career. Dakota stayed and got a new co-star, the handsome actor Jamie Dornan. The 50 Shades project officially started filming from then and was set to release on February 13 to burn the box office with hot scenes on Valentine’s Day.
Since then, Dakota has rarely spoken about herself, even though her character Anastasia and the sex scenes in the film have been the subject of numerous articles and debates. In the UK, a poster of her blindfolded character showing pleasure on her face was banned from cinemas for being too suggestive. Co-star Jamie Dornan has shyly shared that he “had to do things to Dakota that I would never do to a woman in real life” while she was barely wearing any clothes.
Only in a recent interview did the beauty born in 1989 share about the difficulties of filming: “I wanted to portray the hot scenes as naturally as possible, like the way Anastasia first experienced sex in the story. I always felt a lot of pressure during the scenes, but luckily my mother told me that I had the right to request a limit on the number of people present on set. I was blindfolded and tied up with a tie, so every time the director shouted ‘Cut’, Jamie immediately came close and covered me with a blanket.”
Dakota also did not hesitate to defend her character: “Anastasia is not a weak girl who can be easily controlled, every decision is made by herself.”
Both Jamie Dornan and director Taylor-Johnson had nothing but praise for her. Taylor-Johnson recalled the first time Dakota auditioned: “We gave her a scene from Persona (1966) and she absolutely blew everyone away. She understood the subtext of the scene and delivered it with such subtlety. Dakota had this ability to be vulnerable, but at the same time had this strength that made you believe she could pull it off.”
Dakota Johnson is charming with co-star Jamie Dornan.
Dakota Johnson is charming with co-star Jamie Dornan.
Meanwhile, Dornan praised Johnson’s “nuanced” range of emotions: “Dakota is a very funny girl, but she can also be very serious. She can make you laugh with a joke and then break your heart the next moment. Dakota is a perfect actress.”
That still doesn’t take away from the fact that Fifty Shades features a lot of sex, which takes up a fifth of the 120-minute film. “I’ve never been through anything like this, and I don’t think anyone has ever been through anything like this,” says Dakota Johnson. “It’s both terrifying and exciting. But I don’t want anyone in my family to see it.”
With record-breaking ticket pre-orders, it wouldn’t be surprising if Fifty Shades of Grey were to rival or surpass the summer blockbusters. The film is a double-edged sword, as it can either elevate an actor to new heights or bury them. But from what she’s shown, Dakota Johnson seems confident in the success of this landmark film.
In 2015, Dakota will also participate in the highly anticipated project Black Mass alongside actors such as Johnny Depp and Benedict Cumberbatch. More than half a century after Tippi Hedren made her mark with The Birds , now her granddaughter Dakota Johnson will also make a name for herself in Hollywood
