What Is Dakota Johnson's Net Worth and Salary?
Dakota Johnson is an American model and actress who has a net worth of $14 million. Dakota Johnson first garnered attention for her role in the 1999 film "Crazy in Alabama." However, her breakout role came in 2015 when she starred as Anastasia Steele in the film adaptation of the bestselling novel "Fifty Shades of Grey." The movie's success led to two sequels, "Fifty Shades Darker" (2017) and "Fifty Shades Freed" (2018), further cementing Johnson's status as a leading actress.
Beyond the "Fifty Shades" trilogy, Dakota has demonstrated her versatility in various film genres. She appeared in the romantic comedy "How to Be Single" (2016), the thriller "Bad Times at the El Royale" (2018), and the horror film "Suspiria" (2018). Johnson has also taken on challenging roles in independent films such as "A Bigger Splash" (2015) and "The Peanut Butter Falcon" (2019).
In recent years, Johnson has continued to expand her acting repertoire, starring in the drama "The High Note" (2020) and the psychological thriller "The Lost Daughter" (2021). In 2024, she starred in the much-maligned "Madame Web."
Early Life
Dakota Mayi Johnson was born on October 4, 1989, in Austin, Texas. Dakota was born into an acting family, as both her parents are known actors. Her father, Don Johnson, is known for playing the role of James Crockett in the hit '80s series "Miami Vice." Dakota's mother, Melanie Griffith, is famous for roles in movies like 1988's "Working Girl." Her father wasn't present during her birth, as he was on the set of the film "The Hot Spot." Her extended family is also connected to the entertainment world, as her maternal grandparents are former actors. Antonio Banderas was once Dakota's stepfather. She also has six half-siblings, two from her mother and four from her father.
Dakota was raised on film sets, traveling with her parents to various locations as they played a number of different roles. She was never able to lay down roots for very long, and this affected her sense of stability. Johnson was also diagnosed with ADHD at an early age, and she struggled as she switched from school to school while her family traveled around the country. Dakota later admitted that she struggled with depression, which started at the age of 14 and eventually required her to go into rehabilitation in 2007.
Career
Johnson began her professional career as a model. She first became interested in modeling at the age of 12 and appeared in "Teen Vogue" alongside children of other celebrities. Her parents insisted that she finish high school before she began her acting career, even though Dakota was interested in acting from a young age. Although she was rejected from the Juilliard School after graduating from high school, she pushed on with her acting dreams. In 1999, Johnson made her film debut in "Crazy in Alabama," a film directed by her stepfather, Antonio Banderas.
After a relatively slow few years, Dakota signed with IMG Models and started to pursue modeling more seriously. She has modeled for MANGO jeans, but this was after her breakthrough as an actress. After signing her modeling contract, Johnson also started taking acting classes and got an agent.
Some of her early roles were relatively minor, such as her appearance in 2010's "The Social Network." More roles followed with "Beastly," "For Ellen," "Goats," "The Five-Year Engagement," and "21 Jump Street," although these roles were also quite minor. In 2012, Dakota booked the lead role in "Date and Switch." That year, she also joined the cast of "Ben and Kate," although the series was canceled after one season.
Over the next few years, Johnson continued to take minor roles in films such as "Need for Speed" and in TV series like "The Office." Her real breakthrough came in 2015 when she was cast as Anastasia Steele in "Fifty Shades of Grey." Despite being relatively unknown at the time, Dakota beat out several more prominent actresses and won the role. She has since appeared in the film's two sequels. The three "Fifty Shades" films have grossed over $1.325 billion at the box office, making them among the highest-grossing R-rated films of all time.
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Roles came more freely after her success with "Fifty Shades of Grey," and later in 2015, she appeared in "Black Mass," "A Bigger Splash," and "Cymbeline." In 2016, she followed up with "How to Be Single." In 2018, Dakota appeared in "Suspiria," a supernatural horror film. To prepare for the role, she had to undergo rigorous dance training. Many critics applauded her performance in this role. Also in 2018, Johnson starred in a neo-noir thriller called "Bad Times at the El Royale."
In 2019, Dakota appeared in another horror film, "Wounds." That year, she also starred alongside Shia LaBeouf in "The Peanut Butter Falcon." Johnson finished off 2019 with a role in "Our Friend." In 2020, the actress started her own production company called TeaTime Pictures, and she made her directorial debut with the music video "Cry Cry Cry" by Coldplay.
She transitioned from assistant to aspiring music producer in "The High Note" (2020) and took on a supporting role in the acclaimed "The Lost Daughter" (2021). In 2022, she delivered a praised performance as a single mom in "Cha Cha Real Smooth" (which she also produced) and portrayed Anne Elliot in a new adaptation of "Persuasion." In 2024, she stepped into the superhero genre with "Madame Web."
Fifty Shades Salary
The original "Fifty Shades of Grey" film did not come with a massive paycheck for Dakota. If reports are to be believed, she took home just $250,000 for her services on the first film in the franchise. However, she apparently negotiated a 7-figure salary for the next two films, which makes sense considering how successful the original movie was at the box office.
Relationships
Dakota has been romantically involved with several other artists, including musician Noah Gersh and actor Jordan Masterson. She also dated Matthew Hitt, the lead vocalist and pianist for the rock band Drowners. In 2017, she began a relationship with musician Chris Martin, the lead vocalist of Coldplay.
Real Estate
In 2016, Dakota Johnson purchased a home in Hollywood Hills for $3.55 million. The property lies alongside numerous mansions owned by other celebs, and it was built in 1947 by renowned architect Carl Maston. The four-bedroom home features a lap pool, and Johnson renovated parts of the interior after her purchase.
