The co-stars opened up to ET about how their steamy shoots were ‘not as petrifying as the first time’ they acted together.
Fifty Shades Darker brings the erotic romantic affair between Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) back to the big screen.
While the steamy sex scenes of the first film proved to be a bit awkward for the two stars, Dornan says the intimate moments were a little easier to shoot this time around.
“I was only cast five weeks before we started filming the first movie, and that’s when I met Dakota [Johnson] for the first time” Doran explained to ET’s Carly Steel at the Los Angeles premiere of Fifty Shades Darker on Thursday. “[Now] it’s been three years, [and] Dakota and I are very close.”
“We’ve got a great sort of love and respect for each other,” he continued. “We’re great friends and I think that makes it easier, you know? So it’s definitely more comfortable.”
Johnson shared similr sentiments as her handsome co-star, explaining that production on the sequel “was definitely not as petrifying as the first time.”
“It never gets [easy], but because we’ve become so close it was a lot easier to make [the scenes} special,” Johnson said.
One way the duo made the scenes easier on themselves by instituting a kind of “pre-game ritual” before getting down on camera.
“Shot of whiskey [and] mints,” Johnson recalled. “He does pushups and I just lay there and drink whiskey.”
Dornan’s affinity for push-ups doesn’t end with pre-sex scene workouts. The Irish star showed off his prowess during an interview with Conan O’Brien on Wednesday, when he demonstrated just how strong he is by doing arms-only push-ups off the side of the host’s desk.
Check out the video below for a look at Dornan’s impressive physique.
