It’s hard to imagine anyone but Dakota Johnson playing Anastasia Steele. But before she was cast, another name sat on top of the studio’s wishlist—and she said no. Twice.
That actress? Shailene Woodley.
At the time, Woodley was riding high on the success of Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars. Producers thought she had the perfect mix of innocence and intensity for Ana. She even read an early script—and reportedly loved it.
But when her agent pushed her to audition, she refused.
“She didn’t want to be sexualized,” a source close to the production said. “She thought the role could derail her entire image.”
Still, when Charlie Hunnam dropped out of playing Christian Grey, Universal made another offer—this time with a bigger paycheck. Woodley declined again.
By the time Dakota Johnson came in, most of the major studios had given up on Shailene. But behind closed doors, some insiders still wonder what the franchise would’ve looked like with her in the lead.
One producer said bluntly: “It would’ve been a very different Ana. But maybe not as powerful.”
To this day, Shailene has never commented publicly on turning it down—but it may have been the decision that saved her from a very different career path… or robbed her of an unforgettable one.
