(1989-)

Who Is Dakota Johnson?

Actress Dakota Johnson is the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. Her big-screen debut was alongside her mom in 1999's Crazy in Alabama. Post high school, Johnson appeared in a string of films including The Social Network and 21 Jump Street, before landing her most famous role to date as Anastasia Steele in the film adaptation of the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise. The actress has since starred in features like Black Mass and The Peanut Butter Falcon.

Early Life

Dakota Mayi Johnson was born on October 4, 1989, in Austin, Texas. Growing up, Johnson was surrounded by celebrity. Her parents, Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, were one of Hollywood's most recognizable stars of the 1980s, and her maternal grandmother is actress Tippi Hedren. Johnson was also Antonio Banderas' stepdaughter from her mother's longtime marriage to the Spanish actor (the couple divorced in 2015).

Johnson grew up in Colorado but later attended schools in Monterey and Santa Monica, California. An avid dancer as a child, Johnson eventually pursued modeling before transitioning into acting.

Film and Television Career

'Crazy in Alabama' to '21 Jump Street'

In 1999, Johnson made her film debut at the age of nine, playing daughter to her real-life mother Griffith in Crazy in Alabama. In 2006, she was chosen to be Miss Golden Globe. After high school, Johnson appeared in a variety of films: The Social Network (2010), Beastly (2011), The Five-Year Engagement (2012) and 21 Jump Street (2012), among others.

'Ben and Kate'

Johnson had a brief stint in television, playing the lead role in the comedy Ben and Kate in 2012, but the show was canceled after one season. In 2013, she appeared as a new hire on the finale episode of The Office.

'Fifty Shades of Grey' and Sequels

Johnson returned to the big screen in a big way when she landed the role of Anastasia 'Ana' Steele in 2015's Fifty Shades of Grey. She reprised her role as Ana in the film's sequels Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

'A Bigger Splash,' 'Black Mass,' 'How to Be Single'

Riding on Fifty Shades of Grey's success, Johnson has kept busy with other projects. In 2015, she starred in the thriller A Bigger Splash, opposite Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes, and appeared opposite Johnny Depp in the Whitey Bulger mobster biopic Black Mass. Despite establishing herself mostly as a dramatic actress, Johnson took a turn with some lighter fare in 2016 with the comedy How to Be Single.

'Suspiria,' 'The Peanut Butter Falcon'

Johnson took an opportunity to use her background in dance by playing an American ballet dancer in a 2018 remake of the 1977 Italian horror film Suspiria. The following year, she co-starred in the fright flick Wounds and the tearjerking drama The Friend, while also earning attention for her prominent role as caretaker to a young man with Down syndrome and pro wrestling aspirations in the comedy-drama The Peanut Butter Falcon.

Personal Life

Johnson has six half-siblings, four from her father's side, two from her mother's side.

Johnson has been linked to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin since 2017. She previously dated musician Noah Gersh and actor Jordan Masterson.

QUICK FACTS

Birth Year: 1989
Birth date: October 4, 1989
Birth State: Texas
Birth City: Austin
Birth Country: United States
Gender: Female
Best Known For: Dakota Johnson is the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. Her breakout role was playing Anastasia Steele in the film adaptation of 'Fifty Shades of Grey.'
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