Let's be real for a second. When people talk about Dakota Johnson in Fifty Shades of Grey, the conversation usually pivots straight to the nudity. It’s the elephant in the room that’s been there since 2015. But if you think it was all high-glamour and effortless steaminess, you’ve basically been sold a Hollywood lie.
The reality? It was technical. It was messy. Honestly, it was sometimes just plain weird.
Dakota herself hasn't been shy about how "psychotic" the filming process felt. She didn't mean the sex was crazy—she meant the production was a chaotic whirlwind of creative clashing, superglue, and "wee bags." Yeah, you read that right.
The Superglue and the Strapless Thong
Most viewers watching Anastasia Steele on screen assume what they’re seeing is, well, what they’re seeing. But the movie magic behind the Dakota Johnson Fifty Shades of Grey nude scenes involved some of the least sexy DIY hacks imaginable.
To keep things "PG-13 in spirit" while filming R-rated content, Dakota had to wear what are essentially strapless thongs. Think of a nipple pastie, but for your lower half. The problem? Sticky adhesive doesn't hold up well when you're moving around under hot studio lights for twelve hours.
When the standard sticky stuff failed, the crew didn't just give up. They reached for the superglue.
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"They would superglue it to my body so that it wouldn't fall off," Dakota later told Marie Claire.
Imagine that. You’re trying to deliver a vulnerable, emotional performance as a woman discovering her sexuality, and all you can think about is the fact that your modesty garment is literally bonded to your skin with industrial adhesive. It's not exactly the height of romance.
Why a Butt Double Was Necessary
There’s a persistent rumor that Dakota used a body double for everything. That’s not true. She was game for the vast majority of the work. However, there was one very specific reason for a "butt double" in the first film: a tattoo.
Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey revealed that Dakota has a tattoo on her rear end. Because Anastasia Steele was written as a "sexually innocent" character, a random tattoo didn't fit the narrative. Instead of spending thousands on digital removal in post-production, they just hired a double with a "non-tattooed bottom" for those specific close-ups.
Everything else? That was her.
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The Missing Intimacy Coordinators
If you look at films coming out in 2025 and 2026, intimacy coordinators are everywhere. They are the standard. But back when the Fifty Shades trilogy was being filmed, they didn't really exist.
Dakota recently reflected on this while promoting her newer projects, like Materialists. She noted that working with an intimacy coordinator for the first time was a total game-changer. Back in the Fifty Shades days, she and Jamie Dornan were basically on their own.
Jamie ended up being her de facto protector. He’s mentioned in several interviews that as soon as the director yelled "Cut," he’d be the first one to throw a robe over her. He knew she was the one being vulnerable, tied up, and exposed. Without a professional coordinator, the two actors had to rely entirely on their own trust and friendship to get through it without feeling exploited.
It Wasn't Always Sexy
Let's talk about the "Red Room." On screen, it’s this forbidden temple of desire. On set? It was a room full of crew members holding boom mics and drinking lukewarm coffee.
Dakota has described the filming of these scenes as "tedious." You do the same movement fifty times. You’re sweaty, you’re tired, and you’re trying to remember where your hand is supposed to go for the lighting.
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- The Blindfold Factor: Dakota mentioned that the scenes involving blindfolds were the hardest. When you lose your sight, your nervous system flips out.
- The Script Battles: It wasn't just the nudity that was tough. Dakota was frequently rewriting dialogue the night before because she felt the original script (heavily influenced by author E.L. James) was too "cheesy" to say out loud.
She’s been very open about the fact that she signed up for a "very different version" of the movie than the one that eventually hit theaters. She wanted something more like the film Persona—something raw and psychological. What she got was a massive commercial juggernaut that focused heavily on the spectacle of the "red room."
The Legacy of Anastasia Steele
Despite the superglue and the "psychotic" production, Dakota doesn't regret it. Why would she? It made her a household name. It gave her the "fuck you" money and the industry leverage to start her own production company, TeaTime Pictures, and pick roles that actually interest her.
She's moved on to complex roles in The Lost Daughter and Cha Cha Real Smooth, proving she’s way more than just the girl from the "naked movies." But she still defends the nudity. Her stance has always been pretty European: people are naked when they have sex, so why pretend otherwise in a movie about sex?
What to Keep in Mind
If you're looking back at the franchise today, it's worth viewing it through a more technical lens. Here are a few things to consider:
- Actor Agency: Dakota chose these roles specifically because she considers herself a "sexual person" who wanted to explore that on film.
- The Evolution of Sets: The lack of intimacy coordinators on the Fifty Shades set is a major reason why the industry changed. We now have better safety protocols because of what these actors went through.
- Performance vs. Reality: Nudity in film is a costume choice, not a lifestyle choice. For Dakota, it was a task—like a stunt or a dance routine.
The next time you see a clip or a headline about Dakota Johnson Fifty Shades of Grey nude scenes, remember the superglue. It's a reminder that what looks like effortless sensuality on a 40-foot screen is usually the result of a very uncomfortable, very cold, and very un-sexy day at the office.
If you're interested in how the industry has shifted since then, look into the current guidelines for intimacy coordinators on major studio sets. It's a fascinating look at how the "Wild West" of 2015 evolved into the much safer filming environments we see today.