Dakota Johnson Has No Regrets About Starring in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’
While Fifty Shades of Gray may not have been warmly received by critics, Dakota Johnson says she has no regrets about her steamy, starring role in the erotic drama.
Speaking to Vogue UK for its upcoming February issue, the 26-year-old actress said she was “proud” of the film, not least because of the doors it opened in her career.
“I don’t need to walk away from [Fifty Shades of Grey]”, Johnson said. “The more I work, the more the general public sees the different things that I can do. Do I think it opened doors? Yeah. More people know my name.”
There’s no denying that the film raised the profile of Johnson, who was previously known for her roles in independent films and her role on the Fox sitcom Ben and Kate (as well as being the daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson).
Johnson also spoke candidly about the film industry and the ageism that seems to be the system in show business.
“Why doesn’t my mother make movies? She’s an extraordinary actress! Why doesn’t my grandmother [85-year-old Tippi Hedren] in the movies? This industry is fucking brutal,” she shared. “No matter how tough you are, sometimes you feel like you’re unwanted. It’s absurd and callous.”
“Every time I have downtime, I’m not sure I can work again,” Johnson added. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s a sure thing that happens to me.”
Although with four films currently in pre-production — including two Fifty Shades sequels — it doesn’t look like she’ll be experiencing much downtime anytime soon.
Rumors had swirled that Johnson’s co-star Jamie Dornan wasn’t as thrilled with the erotic saga and wouldn’t be returning to reprise his role as the sexually overbearing industrialist Christian Gray in the upcoming sequels.
However, the 33-year-old actor’s rep criticized the reports, noting that Dornan “can’t wait to do the next movie.”
