The 26-year-old actress told Vogue U.K. that she’s ‘proud’ of her work in ‘Fifty Shades’ because of the doors it’s opened for her in her career.
While Fifty Shades of Grey might not have been warmly received by critics, Dakota Johnson says she has no regrets about her steamy, starring role in the erotic drama.
Speaking with Vogue U.K. for its upcoming February issue, the 26-year-old actress said she’s “proud” of the film, specifically because of the doors it’s opened in her career.
“I don’t need to distance myself from [Fifty Shades of Grey],” Johnson said. “The more work I do, the more the general public sees the different things I can do. Do I think it opened doors? Yeah. More people know my name.”
There’s no denying that the film raised Johnson’s profile, who was previously known for parts in indie 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 system in show business.
“Why isn’t my mother in movies? She’s an extraordinary actress! Why isn’t my grandmother [85-year-old Tippi Hedren] in movies? This industry is f**king brutal,” she shared. “No matter how tough you are, sometimes there’s the feeling of not being wanted. It’s absurd and cut-throat.”
“Whenever I have downtime, I’m unsure that I will ever work again,” Johnson added. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s a definite 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 any time soon.
Rumors had swirled that Johnson’s co-star, Jamie Dornan, wasn’t quite as thrilled with the erotic saga, and wouldn’t be returning to reprise his role as the sexually domineering industrialist Christian Grey in the upcoming sequels.
However, the 33-year-old actor’s rep slammed those reports, stressing that Dornan is “looking forward to making the next film.”
Check out the video below for more on Dornan’s involvement in the next two installments in the Fifty Shades series.
