Apart from being the offspring of famous Hollywood stars Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, Dakota Johnson’s claim to fame was the erotic s*x drama 50 Shades of Grey. Based on the book of the same name by E.L. James, the film had many raw and bold scenes of lovemaking between Johnson’s character Anastasia Steele, and the protagonist Christian Grey, played by Jamie Dornan.
In an exclusive with Vanity Fair in 2022, 7 years after the release of the first film, Dakota Johnson spoke candidly about her experience and gave the audiences an inside picture of the challenges she faced while filming the many graphic s*x scenes with her co-star.
Dakota Johnson Had A Torrid Time On The 50 Shades Of Grey Set
Filming raw and graphic love scenes is possibly one of the toughest things to conquer on a film set, and Dakota Johnson is no stranger to it. The young star, who was part of one of the most erotic films in recent times, spilled the beans on the difficulties she endured on the sets of 50 Shades of Grey. For starters, there was a constant battle between author E.L. James and the creative team regarding the way certain scenes should appear in the film. This gave rise to many disagreements that led to Johnson’s character being reworked multiple times during filming.
“[Erika] [ E.L. James] had a lot of creative control, all day, every day, and she just demanded that certain things happen. There were parts of the books that just wouldn’t work in a movie, like the inner monologue, which was at times incredibly cheesy.”
While the constant tug of war led to constant tension on set, Johnson did not have regrets after seeing the final cut. The star was also honest in her opinion that no one other than her would have accepted the challenge to play the character of Anastasia Steele, especially after experiencing the “psychotic” working environment.
Dakota Johnson Is Thankful For 50 Shades Of Grey
Despite the numerous obstacles that Dakota Johnson faced while filming 50 Shades of Grey, the actor looked back on her challenging experience with a lot of pride. While there were issues involving E.L. James and her insistence to see her vision replicated in the film, Johnson spoke highly of the author and was thankful to the team behind the film for giving her the opportunity to shine.
“Jamie and I were treated really well. Erika is a very nice woman, and she was always kind to me and I am grateful she wanted me to be in those movies.…It was great for our careers. So amazing. So lucky.”
The Persuasion star, who called herself a s*xual person by nature, said that she was initially intrigued and excited to explore the different themes of love and lovemaking that author E.L James had crafted in the book.
Source: Vanity Fair
