Dakota Johnson

Early life and background

Dakota Mayi Johnson was born on October 4, 1989, in Austin, Texas, to actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. Her father was shooting the film The Hot Spot (1990) in Texas when she was born. Her maternal grandparents are advertising executive and former child actor Peter Griffith, and actress Tippi Hedren. She is a half-niece of actress Tracy Griffith and production designer Clay A. Griffith. Actor Antonio Banderas is her former stepfather. Her maternal ancestry is Swedish and Norwegian.

Johnson has a complex family as each of her parents had children by three different people. Her six half-siblings are: Jesse Johnson (b. 1982), from her father's relationship with Patti D'Arbanville; Alexander Bauer (b. 1985), from her mother's marriage to Steven Bauer; Stella Banderas (b. 1996), from her mother's marriage to Banderas; Grace (b. 1999), Jasper (b. 2002), and Deacon Johnson (b. 2006), from her father's marriage to Kelley Phleger.

Owing to her parents' occupations, Johnson spent much of her childhood in their various filming locations and accompanying them to premieres, though she spent time in Aspen and Woody Creek, Colorado, where, in her teen years, she worked summers at the local market. In Woody Creek, she was neighbors with Hunter S. Thompson. She attended the Aspen Community School for a time. "I was so consistently unmoored and discombobulated, I didn't have an anchor anywhere," Johnson recalled. She attended the Santa Catalina School in Monterey, California, for her freshman year of high school before transferring to the private New Roads School in Santa Monica, California.

Johnson became interested in modeling at age 12 after participating in a photo shoot with other celebrities' children for Teen Vogue. She subsequently earned an income modeling while attending high school in Santa Monica. She has struggled with depression since around age 14 and checked into rehabilitation. Even as a child, Johnson was interested in acting, having spent significant time on film sets with her parents, but they discouraged her from pursuing the profession until she graduated from high school. After reaching that milestone, she applied to Juilliard School, performing in her audition monologues by Shakespeare and Steve Martin, but was not accepted.

Career

1999–2014: Beginnings

In 1999, Johnson made her film debut in Crazy in Alabama, where she and her half-sister Stella Banderas played daughters to their real-life mother, Griffith. The film was directed by Banderas and was based on the 1993 novel by Mark Childress. In 2006, she was chosen as Miss Golden Globe, where she served as the first second-generation Miss Golden Globe in the Globes' history.

That same year, Johnson signed with IMG Models. Though acting is her primary work, she has since modeled for MANGO brand's jeans line in 2009 and shot the "Rising Star" campaign for Australian fashion label Wish in 2011.

After graduating from high school, Johnson took acting classes with teacher Tom Todoroff until 2008. She signed with the William Morris Agency and started her acting career. She had a minor role in David Fincher's biographical film The Social Network (2010) and also had a small role in the fantasy film Beastly (2011). Johnson starred in So Yong Kim's drama For Ellen (2012), alongside Paul Dano and Jon Heder. The film is about a struggling musician in the midst of a custody battle. Also in 2012, she played a student at a prep school in Christopher Neil's independent comedy Goats. She also starred in Nicholas Stoller's romance film The Five-Year Engagement and the comedy 21 Jump Street. She had a leading role for Chris Nelson's film Date and Switch.

In March 2012, Johnson had a leading role in the Fox comedy television series Ben and Kate. It was canceled on January 25, 2013, after one season. Johnson continued acting in films, with a small role in Need for Speed (2014). In 2013, she had a role as one of the new hires on the series finale episode of the NBC comedy series The Office.

2015–2019: Breakthrough

Johnson's breakthrough came with her leading role as Anastasia "Ana" Steele in the erotic romantic drama film Fifty Shades of Grey, which was released in February 2015 and brought her international recognition. Johnson won the role over Lucy Hale, Felicity Jones, Elizabeth Olsen, Danielle Panabaker, and Shailene Woodley. In response to questions regarding her stance on gender rights concerning her character in the Fifty Shades film series, Johnson stated: "I'm proud of [the film]. I completely disagree with people who think Ana's weak. I think she's actually stronger than he is. Everything she does is her choice. And if I can be an advocate for women to do what they want to do with their bodies and not be ashamed of what they want, then I'm all for that." While the trilogy was widely criticized, Johnson received praise for often being the standout performer. However, her role in the first film won her first Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress, as well as an Award for Worst Screen Combo, which she shared alongside Jamie Dornan. She received nominations in the same categories for Fifty Shades Darker (2017), though she did not win. She reprised her role for the trilogy's final film, Fifty Shades Freed (2018).

On February 15, 2015, Johnson appeared on Saturday Night Live's 40th anniversary special and hosted SNL on February 28, 2015, making her the second daughter of a former SNL host (after Gwyneth Paltrow, whose mother Blythe Danner hosted during the show's seventh season in 1982) to host the show. Also in 2015, she reunited with her 21 Jump Street cast member Johnny Depp, playing the mother of his character's child in the feature film Black Mass. Jessica Kiang of IndieWire said that she "makes something of nothing" in her role. In 2015, Johnson starred in Luca Guadagnino's thriller A Bigger Splash, alongside Tilda Swinton, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Ralph Fiennes. Writing for Rolling Stone, Peter Travers stated that Johnson showed that her character "has more on her mind than slithering seductively". According to Christy Lemire from RogerEbert.com: "A Bigger Splash allows Johnson to be both funnier and sexier than she was in Fifty Shades of Grey". The same year saw the release of Cymbeline, a modern film adaptation of the William Shakespeare play, in which she starred alongside Ethan Hawke and Ed Harris. She also played a lead in the 2016 comedy How to Be Single, with Leslie Mann and her Date and Switch co-star Nicholas Braun. She performed a cover of the Frankie Valli song "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You", alongside Zani Jones Mbayise, Vanessa Rubio and Damon Wayans Jr. for the soundtrack of the film. Johnson was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in June 2016.

Recent work 2020–present

Johnson founded the production company TeaTime Pictures, alongside former Netflix development executive Ro Donnelly, to develop films and television series. In 2020, Johnson made her directorial debut, co-directing (with Cory Bailey) the music video for Coldplay's "Cry Cry Cry", which featured her then boyfriend Chris Martin. Johnson starred alongside Tracee Ellis Ross in the dramedy film The High Note, which was released on May 29, 2020. Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post wrote that "she's lovely to look at and can never be accused of overacting, but in terms of conveying single-minded drive, Johnson is no match for [Tracee Ellis] Ross's carefully calibrated tonal swings between imperiousness, self-awareness, isolation and down-to-earth intimacy." Conversely Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun Times saw it as "maybe her best and certainly most lovable performance."

In 2021, she co-starred in The Lost Daughter, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and based on Elena Ferrante's novel of the same name. In December 2021, Boat Rocker Media acquired a minority interest for TeaTime Pictures. In 2022, she starred in the Netflix film adaptation of author Jane Austen's Persuasion. Johnson co-produced and starred in several films. She played a lesbian in Am I Ok?, which was directed by Stephanie Allynne and Tig Notaro. She played a young mother with an autistic child in Cha Cha Real Smooth, in which she starred opposite Cooper Raiff. Johnson played a cab passenger who has an emotionally profound interaction with a cabbie in the film Daddio, in which she starred opposite Sean Penn. Her performances in The Lost Daughter, Persuasion, Cha Cha Real Smooth, and Daddio were met with positive reception from critics and audiences.

In November 2023, Johnson departed WME and signed a representation deal with Creative Artists Agency. She played the title role in the superhero film Madame Web (2024), set in Sony's Spider-Man Universe. It was produced on a budget of $80 million and was critically and commercially unsuccessful, earning her a second Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress. Johnson said about the film: "We don't have control over how something turns out. (I) signed on to a movie that, by the end of shooting it, (was) a completely different script than what I attached to, and that is a crazy journey to go on as an artist. Because you're like, 'OK, I'm doing something with my actual body and my actual mind and my heart and my emotions,' and it's just being taken and fucked with, but you can't do anything about it. Like, what am I going to do, fucking cry about Madame Web? No. I'm gonna laugh."

Public image

Johnson's role in the Fifty Shades film series established her as a sex symbol early in her career. Since then, her performances have diversified, ranging from supporting roles in blockbusters and art films to leading roles in prestige films. In 2024, she said that she does not “discriminate against movie genres” when choosing acting projects. She has also said she is willing to accept smaller roles, provided the character interests her, and that she uses each one as an opportunity to hone her craft.

Johnson's acting has often drawn a polarized response from critics. While some reviewers have criticized her performances as wooden, emotionally detached, or lacking range, others have praised her subtle, understated, and emotionally nuanced work, as well as her willingness to take creative risks. Tom W. Clarke of The Sydney Morning Herald labeled her "the most unfairly maligned actor in Hollywood", while Louis Chilton of The Independent and Sonia Rao of The Washington Post argued that few of her films fully capitalize on her unusual, enigmatic strengths. Miriam Handel of The Daily Beast and Coleman Spilde of Salon agreed that Johnson frequently elevates the material she is given, and Clarke said she excels at "playing complex characters on journeys of self-discovery". Luca Guadagnino, who directed her in Suspiria, described her as a bold, bombastic, and committed performer.

Johnson has been described as refreshingly candid and relatable in her off-screen appearances, with her interview clips and quotes consistently going viral online. Texas Monthly’s Meher Yeda observed that her press appearances often overshadow the films she is promoting. Her press tour for Madame Web was particularly noted by the media, with her remarks and demeanor receiving significant news coverage due to her self-awareness and apparent indifference towards the film’s reception. Regarding her press tour for Materialists, Taryn Ryder of Yahoo! Entertainment said the actress "reminded us why she’s one of the most magnetic, self-aware stars working today ... effortlessly chic, disarmingly unfiltered and entirely in control of the narrative". Stephanie McNeal of Glamour described Johnson’s public persona as “acerbic, witty, [and] deadpan”, noting that she has, in her own way, become something of an “America’s sweetheart”. In 2024, film critic Stephanie Zacharek said the actress had endeared herself to the general public through a combination of unfiltered responses, intelligence, dry wit, and commitment to diverse performances.

As a child of well-known actors, Johnson’s career and the extent to which her family background influenced her opportunities have been discussed in the media. While she has acknowledged benefiting from a degree of privilege, she has also described the broader discourse surrounding nepo babies as “boring”, particularly among journalists. She has also poked fun at the label in her appearances on Saturday Night Live.

Personal life

Johnson was previously involved in long-term relationships with musician Noah Gersh and actor Jordan Masterson. She dated Matthew Hitt, the lead vocalist of Welsh indie rock band Drowners, intermittently for almost two years until 2016. She and Coldplay's vocalist Chris Martin started dating in October 2017. They resided together in Malibu, California and were engaged. It was reported in June 2025 that the couple split up after eight years of dating. As of 2025, they separated. In early 2026, she began dating singer-songwriter Role Model. They broke up in the summer of that year.

Johnson is a tattoo enthusiast and has been named a brand ambassador for luxury fashion brand Gucci. In 2018, she collaborated with 300 women in Hollywood to set up the Time's Up initiative to protect women from harassment and discrimination. In November 2020, it was announced that she had become an investor and co-creative director of Maude, a sexual wellness brand.

Johnson is an avid reader. She launched a book club in March 2024. She is mildly allergic to limes, despite in 2020 claiming to love them, when a reporter noted a bowl full of limes in an Architectural Digest tour of her house.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Among her accolades, Johnson received the Robert Altman Award from the Independent Spirit Awards as a part of the ensemble for Suspiria. For her role in the Fifty Shades film series, she received a People's Choice Award, as well as nomination for two MTV Movie & TV Awards. She was nominated for BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2016.