A Field Guide To Dakota Johnson

We've been hearing the name Dakota Johnson tossed around the sexier parts of the internet for a while now (read: ever since she got cast as Anastasia Steele in the movie version of "Fifty Shades of Grey."). And last week, we were blessed with both the trailer for the (guaranteed to be terrible, but at least pretty sexy) film and some candid shots of a topless Dakota at the beach. And now that we've finally gotten to see those beautiful boobs, can you fault us for wanting to get to know her a little better? (Sure, some people might say that that's a backwards way to go about things, but those people don't know what they're talking about.)

Dakota Johnson was born October 4, 1989, in Austin, Texas. If she looks a bit familiar, that may be because you've spent years watching her parents on screen: yes, Dakota is the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, making her a third generation Hollywood star (her grandparents are former child actor Peter Griffith and award winning actress Tippi Hedrin – talk about being a legacy!). Given her lineage, it's not that surprising that Johnson was marked for stardom from an early age: her childhood (which was split between Aspen, Monterey, and Santa Monica) was full of artistic endeavors, from acting (more on that in a second), to dancing, to modeling (sparked by a gig at twelve where she and other children of celebrities appeared in an issue of Teen Vogue).

In addition to being the daughter of Don Johnson, Dakota is also the stepdaughter of onscreen heartthrob Antonio Banderas, and it was through him that she got her first movie role. In 1999, Johnson her half-sister, Stella Banderas, played their mother's daughters in "Crazy in Alabama" (directed by Antonio Banderas). Despite all the star power, the film wasn't a hit, so Johnson put her acting career on hold and resumed her schooling, staying largely off the radar until 2006, when she earned the distinction of being the first ever second generation Miss Golden Globe in the award show's history (for those who are feeling a bit confused, that means that Melanie Griffith was a Miss Golden Globe in her youth as well). 

But once she graduated from high school, Johnson hit the ground running in a major way. She quickly signed with the William Morris Agency, and began racking up acting gigs at a frantic pace. After waiting eleven years to do her second film gig, Johnson was clearly hungry for acting work – and, based on the numerous roles she landed, Hollywood was clearly hungry for her. After appearing in "The Social Network" as Amelia Ritter, Johsnon landed roles in a number of projects, including "21 Jump Street," "Ben and Kate," and "The Office" – but no project has gotten her quite so much buzz as the role of Anastasia Steele.

Which brings us to the most interesting part of Dakota's story: landing that role. According to Entertainment Weekly, Johnson knew very early on that the role was meant for her – long before she'd read the books, even – and she made sure her manager got on the task of promoting her for the part. What drew her to the role? Well, aside from the fact that it was obviously going to be an incredibly high profile project, there was a certain kinship that Johnson felt with the character of Anastasia Steele. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Johnson offered that:

I just really understand it... I think it’s an incredible love story and that’s why it’s affected so many people. Erica (EL James) did a really good job of explaining how that just can happen sometimes and you have this chemical pull to someone. Adding in the sex makes it perfect. Sometimes you feel a little bit naughty and that’s okay.

After an intense audition process (during which she read a long, sexually-explicit monologue from Ingmar Bergman’s film "Persona") and an even more intense wait, Johnson learned that she'd landed the role. Interestingly (and not surprisingly), taking on the lead in a torrid, steamy drama with a lot of explicit sex led to some off camera drama for the young actress. Sources have reported that her father and grandmother took issue with her taking part in such a project – though we're pleased to see that her mother (no stranger to nude scenes herself!) has remained supportive of daughter's decision to take on a nude role.

Of course, it remains to be seen if the movie is actually good (we're betting no, but maybe we're wrong?) and how it impacts Johnson's future acting career. If it were up to us, this role would lead to a Paz de la Huerta style path of plentiful nudity combined with quality acting. So let's all keep our fingers crossed for that outcome, okay?