"50 Shades of Grey" is one of the most high-profile premieres of this year. Even with an R rating, the picture earned $570 million worldwide, recouping its budget ($40 million) in its first weekend. Of course, the film would not have been so successful if not for the explosive chemistry between the main characters: Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. Was this chemistry real? Was the passion on screen a reflection of the real relationship between Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson? Or is it all about acting?
Since the picture was released, journalists from various publications have been closely following the Dornan-Johnson acting duo.
Director Sam Taylor-Johnson does not deny the romantic relationship between the main actors of his film.
In an interview with USA Today, Sam was very ambivalent about the duo's relationship. Here are some phrases from the interview:
“Everyone loves gossip. A lot of what they say is absolutely absurd. The truth is that together they have fun and pleasure.”
“I don’t know what was expected of them. Probably, many see them as another Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson"
“It was a movie. Job. They got along well with each other."
The ambiguity of the director's statements further increased the interest of the press in the acting duo. Everyone was sure that these two were united by something more than just a business relationship. All it needed was some little confirmation. For example, photos from filming. And we got it:
The photo shows how Dakota Johnson tightly hugs Jamie Dornan. And it's clearly not a scene from a movie. But what is the nature of these hugs?
The next shot is from the cocktail party. A pair of Dakota and Jamie just shines in the background of the rest of the crowd. What is between them, if not love?
Photo shoot by Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan for USA Today.
Dornan is married and Johnson is in a relationship
But let's move away from conjecture a little and look at the facts. It's no secret that Jamie Dornan is happily married to English actress Amelia Warner. In addition, they have a little daughter. Dakota Johnson is dating the guitarist of the indie band The Drowners - Matthew Hitt (More:). What is the probability that these two crossed the line?
Did Johnson break up with her boyfriend for Dornan?
But the fact of the matter is that in December last year, this version was a little blurry. Dakota Johnson broke up with her boyfriend. Numerous photos taken before and after December testified to this. At first, the actress was often seen accompanied by a boyfriend, but starting in December, they were no longer seen together.
Fans of the film immediately picked up on this news. But as soon as 50 Shades of Gray hit theaters, Johnson and Hitt rekindled their relationship. According to rumors, there was not even a gap. The couple just suspended their relationship due to the employment of both at work: Hitt was on tour, and Johnson was waiting for the premiere of the film. However, just about a week ago, a very interesting article appeared on the Yibada website. It said that after the reunion of the couple, Dakota Johnson spends much more time alone or with her friends than with her boyfriend.
Dornan is happily married: true or false?
As for the Dornan-Warner couple, there is no evidence that the marriage is experiencing difficulties. Recently, Dornan spends all his free time with his wife and young daughter. Convince of this numerous photos on the network.
"I'm even more in love with her now than at the beginning of our relationship," the actor told Belfast Telefraph in an interview.
And yet, it is worth mentioning the fact that Dornan's wife was not very happy with the erotic scenes in which her husband participated. For a while, there was even talk that Dornan was considering turning down his role in the sequel. Actually, for this reason, the shooting of the film was postponed.
And here is a cutting of the filming process with the participation of Dakota and Jamie Dornan:
Can the Dornan-Warner marriage survive two films? We will get the answer to this question over time. In the meantime, in an interview with the Inquisitr, Jamie Dornan, when asked about a romantic interest in Johnson, answered bluntly: "No." Although, in other interviews, he spoke very well about his filming partner:
“It’s easy to get along with her. She's very sweet"
“We immediately established a connection. If we did not like each other, I would not have been approved for the role. But the producers decided that we would work together. And we really worked together. We have established friendly relations.”
Dakota Johnson's remarks sound even sweeter:
"It was amazing. By that time we had tried many candidates. He was so calm, yet funny at the same time. He easily picked up all my jokes and it meant a lot to me.
Together or not?
Not yet. But is it possible in the future? Why not. Obviously, there was some kind of chemistry between the actors. Whether they can hold her back for two whole films, only time will tell.
The main characters - modest Anastasia Steele and billionaire seducer Christian Gray - finally decide to take their relationship to a new level by playing a wedding. But, as the creators promise, the feelings of the beloved will have to pass another test of strength: uninvited guests from the past will burst into the life of the newlyweds.
Recall that the novel "Fifty Shades of Grey" became an international sensation due to its scandalous content and erotic background. Film adaptations of the spirit of the novels E.L. James convey quite accurately: the paintings are replete with bed scenes. About how hard such intimate shootings are given to the leading actors Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, the actors talk in numerous interviews.
But for the promotion of the third film in the series, Jamie and Dakota obviously prepared something special for the journalists. For example, while Johnson boasts that she adopted her character's passion for some BDSM techniques, Dornan, on the contrary, recommends that viewers not repeat some scenes from Fifty Shades Freed.
Jamie Dornan in Fifty Shades Freed
In a new interview, Jamie addressed a rumor that the studio allegedly offered him a million dollars if he agreed to shoot completely naked. “No, the agreement was - 30 million for one of the intimate parts of the body,” Dornan joked. “Actually, no, I wasn’t offered a million dollar nude pictorial.”
“I don’t even know if I would agree to such conditions. My butt flashes in the frame quite often. But that doesn't really bother me. The audience will also see Dakota's chest - I would also show mine if I had it. I just thought that we don't need to show everything if it's not important for the story. We still don’t shoot porn, although many people think so, ”Jamie Dornan told reporters.
Frame from the movie "Fifty Shades Freed"
Frame from the movie "Fifty Shades Freed"
Trailer for Fifty Shades Freed
- Jamie, looking back, how do you evaluate your long “journey” of almost four years?
Indeed, the film "Fifty Shades of Grey" was released in 2015, and it was filmed in 2014. During this time, I gained invaluable experience and, of course, grew as an actor. And, of course, it's nice to be involved in what many people like.
- Fifty Shades of Grey, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson. What do you think director James Foley brought to the picture that was new compared to the first film?
It certainly wasn't easy for James to jump on a train that had already left the station. Nevertheless, he succeeded: he respected what his predecessor did, and at the same time made his own movie. In a situation where you pick up the work of another person, you have to be extremely delicate, and James handled it perfectly.
- In the first two films, the relationship between the main characters - Christian Gray and Anastasia Steele - was very difficult. How do they develop in the new film?
It can be said that they are entering a more positive direction. Since our characters with Dakota Johnson are now married, they are more and more like an ordinary married couple. But this does not mean that their life becomes more boring. As you might guess, the love of the heroes is once again being tested.
Firstly, marriage itself is no small test for lovers - I think people who are married understand what I'm talking about. And secondly, the feelings of the characters are repeatedly tested for strength thanks to the author of the script. (Laughs) For example, when Anastacia's former boss Jack Hyde enters the scene, the romantic plot clearly turns into a thriller.
- That is, the viewer is waiting for a lot of action?
Exactly. Although the shooting of the second and third films was carried out in parallel, working on the film "Fifty Shades Freed" was more interesting for me. In it, the action develops more rapidly, there are scenes of car races, fights ... It cannot be said that I had so many fights and chases, but I threw my fellow actors around me with pleasure and did various tricks.
- In the film "Fifty Shades of Grey" Christian tried to control Anastacia in everything, in the film "Fifty Shades Darker" she already dictates her conditions to him. Who owns the situation in the third picture?
It can be said that the heroes converged in the middle and are balancing, trying to reach a compromise that family life requires from lovers. Roughly speaking, they are trying to work in one team, and not fight for dominance.
- If there was no special chemistry between Dakota and me, we would not be able to play those special relationships that connect our heroes. A scene from the movie Fifty Shades Freed. Photo courtesy of UPI Russia
- Is your character different from the Christian we saw in the first two films?
I would say that he became more understanding, more human, or something ... Compared to the first picture, where Christian's thoughts and actions were difficult to understand, now we have an open book before us.
For any actor, such a role is a kind of challenge. The difficulty was that, on the one hand, it was necessary to play a sort of detached and cold type, accustomed to controlling everything around, and on the other hand, a charming guy who is liked by others.
- And what can you say about the heroine - Anastasia has changed a lot since the time of the movie "Fifty Shades of Grey"?
She has finally matured, found her voice and turned into a strong, independent woman who makes her own decisions. It becomes clear that Anastasia really loves Christian. In a word, she is now not the unrequited sheep that she used to be, and Christian accepts this, because he also truly loves.
- What other interesting characters appear in the film "Fifty Shades Freed"?
One of the main ones is Jack Hyde. The audience met him in the film Fifty Shades Darker, but in the new film he gives a real shake-up to the main characters, becomes a source of drama and action. Eric Johnson is very good in this role, and he is also taller than me, which can not but annoy. (Laughs.)
Another character is Gia Matteo (played by Ariel Kebbel), a designer who works on the interior of Christian's new house. She openly flirts with my hero, which causes outbreaks of jealousy in Anastacia. But Christian reacts calmly to this situation - he is really happy with Anastasia.
- I heard that you became very good friends with the performer of the role of Anastacia. This is true?
We adore each other. If there wasn’t a special chemistry between Dakota and me, we wouldn’t be able to play those special relationships that connect our heroes. We have come all this way together, and now that the shooting has come to an end, we remain great friends. I am sure that we will continue to support each other. After all, this work greatly influenced not only our career, but also ourselves. The thread that binds us cannot be broken so easily. It's forever.
With wife and daughter Dulce (London, 2015). Photo: Legion Media
- Did such a warm relationship help you during the filming of erotic scenes?
And how! The passion that literally burned Christian and Anastacia in the first two films does not subside. On the contrary, it becomes even stronger. It seems that these guys are insatiable, they can not live a day without sex.
Erotic scenes are very difficult for actors - acting in them, you feel very vulnerable. Here you need absolute trust in your partner. And if in the movie "Fifty Shades of Grey" Dakota and I were just getting to know each other, our relationship was only gaining momentum, but then we already felt each other well. Even sometimes managed to laugh, which greatly facilitated the work.
In general, there were many moments on the site that caused laughter. I remember we couldn't stop laughing during the filming of the wedding scene. We suddenly realized that the guy who was in the elevator with us in the first movie was now sitting in the front row at the wedding ceremony. For some reason we thought it was very funny. Dakota and I often made each other laugh.
And that's great: it's hard to work when everything around is too serious. Life is short and you have to enjoy it. Of course, work should be approached with all responsibility, but it would be nice to enjoy it. We are actors, and our main task is to entertain people. And how do you do it if you don't treat yourself with humor? In principle, this applies to any profession. My father, for example, is a surgeon, but he is one of the funniest people I have ever met.
Was there anything on the set that stood out in particular?
First of all, as I said, we shot two films at the same time. In my opinion, it made life much easier for the entire film crew. You know that for six months you need to drop everything and concentrate entirely on work. This helps to save not only time and money, but also energy.
Another bonus is a trip to France, where the heroes go on their honeymoon trip. The shooting schedule was not very tight, so we had enough free time. Dakota and I and other actors used it to wander around Paris and Nice, swim in the sea and even go water skiing. Those were great days.
Jamie Dornan
Family: wife - Amelia Warner, actress; daughters - Dalsie (4 years old) and Elva (2 years old)
Career: model, musician, actor. He worked as a model for famous brands, played in the British band Sons of Jim. How the actor made his film debut in Sofia Coppola's film
"Marie Antoinette" (2006). He starred in the series Once Upon a Time, The Fall, the films Anthropoid, etc. He became famous for the role of rich Christian Gray in the films Fifty Shades of Gray and Fifty Shades Darker
Is there still a person on the planet who does not know who Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson are? Most likely not, because these actors played the main roles in the mega-popular trilogy "50 Shades of Grey" about the intimate relationship between a student and a sadistic billionaire.
Dakota Johnson: the beginning of a creative path
The future star of "Shades" was born in Austin, Texas, in a family of famous actors of the 90s. Her father is known as a serial actor, who played mostly minor roles ("Django Unchained"), and her mother is a popular Hollywood actress who became recognizable after the release of the film "Business Woman". It is worth noting that the girl's grandmother was a famous actress and model of the last century and was extremely popular with, as they said after, she was his muse.
Naturally, the baby, under parental influence, already knew her way and actively paved her way to worldwide recognition. A few years later, Dakota's parents broke up, and her mother married Antonio Banderas, whom she met on the set of the film. Subsequently, he took custody and patronage of the girl, who from early childhood began to show interest in bohemian life: she did not dance for long, but achieved more success in the modeling business. Having good external data: a spectacular appearance and a beautiful slender figure, the girl was actively in demand among modeling agencies. Johnson also showed considerable interest in cinema.
Films with Dakota Johnson
The first step on the path to fame as an actress was the film "A Woman without Rules", which was shot by the stepfather of the baby himself. Young Dakota did not receive popularity and did not appear on the screens for more than ten years after the release of the film, deciding to focus on her modeling career.
The film "The Social Network" with the famous handsome Justin Timberlake brought her worldwide recognition, then the girl appeared in the comedy series "Ben and Kate" by Dana Fox, playing the main role. The tape was a success among viewers and critics, and Dakota Johnson's collection of films was replenished with such popular films as "Macho and Nerd", "Terrible Handsome" and "Goats". She has appeared in the melodrama Married a Bit, the short film All That Glitters, the drama Cymbeline and many others, rapidly moving up to fame and accumulating fan recognition and prestigious awards in her arsenal.
"50 shades of grey"
But the resounding success and recognition of millions brought her the painting "Fifty Shades of Grey" based on the novel of the same name by E.L. James. Dakota played a philology student in love with sexy billionaire Christian. Many critics and fans of the erotic novel believed that Johnson was not suitable for the main role, on this occasion they even wrote a petition for the re-election of a more worthy person. More than twenty thousand people signed, stating that the actress is not young enough and attractive enough.
Nevertheless, Dakota played a leading role and became one of the sought-after actresses of our time, after the release of the film, viewers and film critics recognized that the girl still has a talent for reincarnation. Of course, there were some negative reviews about the sensational picture, since it began to differ significantly from the novel itself, and frank episodes, according to experts, replaced the "vanilla" scenes. The actress herself does not think so and believes that she did an excellent job with the task and bed moments did not become a stumbling block for her.
Relationships with men
There are not so many facts about the personal life of Dakota Johnson, and this gives the paparazzi a reason to follow the movie star more closely. The girl met with actor Jordan Masterson before the shooting of "Shades" began: the guy begged her to refuse the role and asked her to attend church with him. It was not an easy choice for the girl, but her career has become more important than her personal life.
Dakota Johnson unexpectedly started an affair with musician Matthew Heath, but even here the guy could not withstand the pressure of the press, and the couple broke up six months later. So we can say with confidence: shooting in a frank role did not benefit the girl, upsetting her entire personal life.
Jamie Dornan: biography
Born in Ireland in 1982, he grew up in the family of an obstetrician and a housewife. As a child, the actor showed interest in sports, namely golf and rugby. When he was 16, his mother died of cancer, and the following year, his 4 friends died in a car accident: such events left a strong imprint on Jamie, later he had to turn to a psychologist.
In his hometown of Belfast, he went to college, even then the makings of an actor appeared: he actively attended a drama club and began to be interested in music, and with his best friend David created the Sons of Jim group. Due to the inexperience of the guys and the lack of finances, their career as musicians failed miserably. Jamie himself says that he loves this world too much to spoil it with his music. In 2008, the group officially ceased to exist.
After graduating from college, the actor entered a local university and soon received a tempting offer from a well-known modeling agency. The guy immediately went to London to conquer the world's catwalks, his first photo session was held for an advertising catalog in 2002, and the pictures turned out to be quite spicy. Soon, one after another, Jamie signed contracts with famous brands and men's magazines, worked with brands such as Calvin Klein, Armani, Gap and many others.
Modeling career developed at a staggering speed, his collection of works included pictures with the most popular top models: Dornan was photographed with Kate Moss and Eva Mendes, the latter was very pleased with the work of the Irish handsome. Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan have also sparked off-set relationship rumors, but is there any basis in it?
Filmography of the actor
He did not bypass Jamie and the film industry, but starred not so much, having managed to appear in such projects as Once Upon a Time, Flight Home, New Worlds. Jamie Dornan became recognizable in the film "The Fall", playing the role of a serial killer, by the way, the shooting took place in his native land - in Ireland. However, he fully tasted fame after the release of the film trilogy "50 Shades of Grey": Dakota Johnson became a partner in the film. Jamie Dornan critics did not approve and even awarded the award as "Golden Raspberry" for the worst male role. Despite everything, the film broke records at the box office and became very popular all over the world. It was only after this role that Jamie Dornan's fans began to enjoy increased interest in films with his participation.
Irish Don Juan
Jamie's personal life has always been pretty good, since before marriage he had numerous novels. He met with Keira Knightley, with whom he had been in a relationship for 3 years and claimed that he had the most serious intentions. The couple still broke up due to the interference of the press, but thanks to her he got his first role in the film. Jamie Dornan managed to have an affair even with Kate Moss, Lindsay Lohan, many other famous ladies have been in his bed. Then the actor married a beautiful singer and actress, they had two wonderful daughters - Dalsie and Phoebe.
Rumors around the creative tandem
Gossip will always go around and around this Hollywood couple: the press and tabloids claim that these creative people are connected not only by shooting and a spark ran between them, especially if you watch the film. It becomes interesting: Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are dating or not?
The guys refute the low rumors, claiming that they have developed warm friendships. Dakota speaks with special tenderness about Jamie's wife and considers her an amazing woman, no doubt the girl made friends with the actor's children. So, the allegations about the romance of the stars are another trick to draw public attention to the last part of the trilogy: the directors themselves decided to create an image of mutual sympathy between Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, which goes beyond ordinary friendship.
Went on a tour of the evening shows, answering tricky questions from Jimmy Kimmel and James Corden.
Kimmel asked Jamie what kind of relationship he has with the actress after all the explicit scenes in which the partners had a chance to film.
“This will sound inappropriate, but we are almost like brother and sister. Because I'm married, and she ... changed quite a lot of guys while we were filming. Everyone has their own life, and we just show love and respect for each other. It seems to me that we already know each other very well, even to some extent in an intimate sense..
When asked about what Jamie covered his genitals during explicit scenes, the actor was embarrassed:
“Well, I put on such a tiny bag. Well, that is, this expression is, in fact, he is not so tiny. Yes, a normal big bag. On the set of the first film, I was given a whole range of these bags to choose from, so I took one, turned it inside out, and there was such a strange inscription: "Prisoner number 3".
Jamie confirmed that 50 Shades Freed was filmed back-to-back and filming ended about 2 years ago.
“I saw the last film. They make us watch… oh, I mean, anyway, we had to brush up on the movie before the premiere anyway, since shooting ended a long time ago. So I went to the Universal studios in London, where they have something like their own cinema. But they don't let you watch this movie alone, in case you want to copy it to your phone... Nonsense, of course. As if I would do it... So I watched it with a security guard. With such a big guy. Just the two of us. But before that I drank beer and periodically went to the toilet, so I spent part of the film there. But all those sex scenes… towards the end, I was already burning with shame. And when the movie ended, the guard told me, “Cool, dude, high five!”.
In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Jamie admitted that his wife has not watched a single movie about Anastacia and Christian.
“I don’t want to pay her tickets for these films”- joked the actor.
In an interview with James Corden, Jamie spoke about, who at the beginning of his career was still an unknown actor by his roommate.
“Eddie was desperate then. We both were. There wasn't much work to do, we didn't really have to choose, we went to the same auditions, we both had the same agent. And I remember… it seems to have been in 2008, on the second day after we moved in together, a courier from our agency arrived with a huge stack of scripts, there were about 25 of them. And Eddie and I immediately began to fuss about who this was all intended for. It was all meant for me, and Eddie took it to heart. He called the agent to find out why "Jamie just got a hefty stack of scripts." An hour later, the courier arrived with exactly the same size stack of the same scripts for him..
