Dakota Johnson
About
Biography
Biography
A third-generation star, Dakota Johnson was a talented actress who seemed to have inherited her family's thespian skills. Born Oct. 4, 1989 in Austin, TX, Dakota Mayi Johnson hailed from showbiz royalty; her parents were Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, her grandmother was Tippi Hedren and, in 1996, Antonio Banderas became her stepfather. She made her film debut in Griffith and Banderas' "Crazy in Alabama" (1999) and, in 2006, was named Miss Golden Globe. After enjoying success as a model, Johnson landed a small role as a lover of Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) in the Oscar-winning drama "The Social Network" (2010), which also earned her and her castmates a slew of "Best Ensemble" honors from various film festivals. The actress went on to book supporting roles in such high-profile projects as "Beastly" (2011), "21 Jump Street" (2012) and "The Five-Year Engagement" (2012), but Johnson's breakthrough role came on the sitcom "Ben and Kate" (Fox, 2012-13), where she was given the opportunity to play lead as Kate, a single mother who finds both inspiration and exasperation from her free-spirited brother Ben (Nat Faxon). Although critics were impressed with her screen presence and comic timing, the series suffered from poor ratings and was canceled after a single season. Following more supporting roles in the action thriller "Need For Speed" (2014) and Michael Almereyda's indie drama "Cymbeline" (2014), Johnson became one of Hollywood's most high-profile young actresses when she was cast as the innocent Anastasia Steele in the film adaptation of E.L. James' S/M-themed romantic best-seller "Fifty Shades of Grey" (2015). Though the film received tepid reviews, it was a major box office success. Johnson's next major screen role came in Scott Cooper's gritty drama "Black Mass" (2015), in which she starred opposite Johnny Depp, who portrayed real-life Boston mobster turned FBI informant James "Whitey" Bulger.
By Jonathan Riggs
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Life Events
1999
Made film debut with her mother, Melanie Griffith, in "Crazy In Alabama."
2011
Co-starred in romantic fantasy "Beastly"
2012
Co-starred in indie drama "For Ellen"
2012
Had a small role in comedy reboot "21 Jump Street"
2012
Had a supporting role in romantic comedy "The Five-Year Engagement"
2014
Co-starred in action thriller "Need For Speed"
