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Dakota Johnson recently shared an unusual audition experience that left a lasting impression on her.
During an interview with the U.K.’s Hits Radio earlier this month, Johnson recounted, “I once had a callback audition where I entered the room, greeted everyone, and introduced myself. After performing the scene, I left, only to later receive feedback that my introduction was perceived as arrogant. They thought I was schmoozing and full of myself.”
The actress, known for her role in Splitsville, expressed her disbelief, saying, “I was stunned. I didn’t get the part because they believed I was being cocky, but I was merely being polite. It was quite a surprising experience.”
At 36, Dakota Johnson is not only a talented actress but also the daughter of Hollywood icons Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, and the granddaughter of legendary actress Tippi Hedren.
Johnson, along with Blake Lively and other stars, has encountered interviews that have taken unexpected turns. Sometimes, these moments arise from a mismatch or clash between the celebrity and the interviewer, while other times, celebrities simply steer the conversation in an unforeseen direction.
The Materialists star has been vocal in the past about her approach to taking on roles, including how she avoids toxic movie sets.
“If there’s not a healthy collaboration, if it’s not a good match, then it’s not a good match. We really don’t move forward if it’s not a good match,” she told Variety in July 2025. “I can’t waste time on toxic sets anymore, or in situations that are not fun or fulfilling or healthy. That’s one of the perks of [producing], because I get to put amazing people together and make something.”
The actress and producer said she doesn’t want to be around “anybody who’s mean or condescending or unkind.”
“I don’t want to face people who are not willing to collaborate, and then there are obvious things,” Johnson explained. “We all know what a toxic set is by now. We’re artists, so there’s room for expansive personalities, and we’re working with emotions.”
Brad Pitt and Kate Hudson are notable examples of stars who turned down iconic movie and TV roles (in Almost Famous and The Devil Wears Prada, respectively), yet there are just as many famous faces who were rejected by producers and directors when their casting didn’t feel quite right. Millie Bobby Brown and Dwayne Johnson […]
She added, “I love a healthy argument on a set, and I also believe that the most excellent idea wins. It’s not a fight. It’s not a race. It’s a collaboration.”
Johnson said at the time that she was “pretty vocal” when it comes to standing up for herself on a movie set.
“I think now, just being in the position of being a producer and developing my own films, I can choose all the people who are in it, and that makes a huge difference,” she shared.
Johnson will next be seen in Verity, an adaptation of It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover’s novel of the same name. The thriller, costarring Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett, is due for release in October.