Top 10 Moments That Made Us Love Dakota Johnson

Although not her feature debut, “The Social Network” shined the spotlight on Johnson as she emerged as an actress to watch. She might not be on screen for long, but anyone who can steal attention from Justin Timberlake is bound to leave a strong impression. Johnson plays Amelia ‘Amy’ Ritter, a Stanford student who sleeps on top of Napster creator Sean Parker, played by Timerlake. In just over three minutes, Johnson establishes Amelia as a witty and intelligent young woman who plays an essential role in telling Parker about this addicting new internet phenomenon. In reality, Parker learned about The Facebook after spotting the site on his roommate’s girlfriend’s computer. While the situation is altered here, the girlfriend did go to Stanford like Amelia.

Anastasia Steele remains the steamiest role of Johnson’s career, hence why her parents have reservations about watching the “Fifty Shades” trilogy. Although Johnson has described taking her clothes off on set as “difficult,” she’s “not afraid of nudity,” adding, “I think women are beautiful.” While male co-star Jamie Dornan also stripped down for his role, even Johnson wishes that the audience got to see more of Mr. Grey. When asked about it in an interview, Johnson vowed to get Dornan fully naked in “Fifty Shades Darker.” This didn’t entirely pan out, as Dornan never went the full monty, although footage was reportedly shot. Nevertheless, Johnson’s humorous and down-to-earth responses to these uncomfortable questions further solidified her as a true professional.

Being the star of “Fifty Shades,” Johnson’s appearance has been the subject of various conversations. In 2019, the internet became fixated on one particular facet: Johnson’s missing tooth gap. The gap had been a staple of Johnson’s smile for years. And then suddenly, it mysteriously vanished. Johnson cleared up the… um, “controversy” on “The Tonight Show,” revealing that the gap closed after her permanent retainer was removed. Who knew that teeth could cause neck pain? Johnson shared in our mutual heartbreak over the lost gap, although it could still come back. For now, Johnson cheered us all up by tapping Jimmy Fallon’s tooth and sharing a story about using George Clooney’s name to land reservations at restaurants. George was apparently cool with this.

Johnson hosted “SNL” for the first time not long after “Fifty Shades of Grey” premiered. While Johnson promoted her blockbuster film, she also poked fun at its lack of Oscar potential. Johnson was actually wrong about that, as the film did earn a Best Original Song nomination for “Earned It.” The important thing to Johnson is that the film has its fans, some of which were in the audience. This wasn’t Johnson’s first time on the “SNL” set. Aside from making a cameo at the 40th anniversary, her parents supposedly conceived her around the same time Melanie Griffith hosted “SNL” in 1988. While they still won’t watch “Fifty Shades,” Griffith and Don Johnson did show up to see their daughter crush her opening monologue.

In this underrated indie gem, Johnson plays Eleanor, a caretaker who loses track of a young man with Down syndrome named Zak. As Zak ventures to become a professional wrestler, Eleanor sets out to find him. Although Eleanor could’ve been played as a no-nonsense stick-in-the-mud, Johnson brings humor, pluck, and relatability to the role. In this scene, Eleanor runs into Zak’s unlikely traveling companion, Tyler. While Eleanor is out of her element, she still holds her own against the sloppy Tyler. When Eleanor asks Tyler about Zak, the two start interograthing each other with playful banter interspersed. Eleanor doesn’t get Zak’s location, but Tyler does get her name. Eleanor also gives him an obscene hand gesture, showing that she’s not just a proper city girl.

Johnson’s screen time is limited in this mostly male ensemble piece. During one integral scene, though, Johnson delivers the film’s most devastating performance. Johnson stars as Lindsey Cyr, the mother of Whitey Bulger’s son, Douglas. Succumbing to Reye syndrome, young Douglas ends up on life support without the possibility of recovering. Although it breaks Lindsey’s heart, she knows that there’s only one way to end the suffering, which Whitey refuses to accept. Although Whitey is a threantening criminal, Lindsey isn’t intimidated. After spending years on the sidelines as the supportive mother and girlfriend, Lindsey takes control. She stands her ground, telling Whitey off before leaving to grieve in solitude. Johnson couldn’t be more heartbreaking as a mother forced to live through every child’s worst nightmare.

Speaking of grieving mothers, Olivia Colman leads this psychological drama as Leda, who tries filling the void in her life by stealing a little girl’s doll. She also befriends the girl’s mother Nina, played by Johnson. Their relationship culminates with Leda returning the doll to Nina, who’s thrilled and relieved at first. When Leda reveals that she took the doll and has been playing with it this whole time, though, Nina’s perception of her is turned upside down. Although the two mothers actually have a fair deal in common, Nina can’t comprehend why Leda would do something so unnatural. We’re not surprised that Nina storms off in anger, but we weren’t prepared for her to stab Leda with the hatpin she bought her.

Usually when a celebrity goes on a talk show, they enter the host’s domain. As such, Ellen DeGeneres seemingly held all the cards when she accused Johnson of not inviting her to her 30th birthday. Firing back with a smile, Johnson asserted that DeGeneres was invited and didn’t show up. Although Ellen initially claimed to have no recollection of this, it wasn’t long until she remembered getting an invite. The internet went crazy for the image of Johnson smirking while DeGeneres was caught in the headlights. Johnson wasn’t done being flawlessly frank, as she revealed that her favorite comedian, Tig Notaro, showed up and performed. Johnson delivers a perfect mic drop by getting up and waving goodbye, although she of course sits back down.

Every guest who checks into the El Royale has a mysterious past. Emily Summerspring, played by Johnson, is no exception, showing up with a hostage. The young woman tied up in her room is eventually revealed to be Rose, Emily’s sister who’s been running with the wrong crowd. Special Agent Dwight Broadbeck doesn’t realize this, attempting to stage a rescue. Although he gets the drop on her, Dwight underestimates Emily, who came prepared with a shotgun and isn’t afraid to use it. Dwight’s sudden demise is only the second craziest part of this scene, as the blast exposes Miles behind the mirror. Johnson beams with confidence in the role and this scene finds Emily at her most resilient.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Eyeing Channing Tatum, “21 Jump Street” (2012)
Every Time We Rewatch This Comedy, We Almost Don’t Recognize Johnson

Penelope Lanier, “A Bigger Splash” (2015)
Johnson’s Most Seductive Role

Drinking Tequila, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (2015-)
So What If She Had to Go to Canada After?

Meeting Audrey, “The Five-Year Engagement” (2012)
An Awkward Introduction Made Even More Awkward

Her Response to Her Wardrobe Malfunction, “42nd People’s Choice Awards” (2016)
The Award Was For Drama, But Johnson Needs to Do More Comedy

“42nd People’s Choice Awards” (2016)
CBS

https://youtu.be/Noc50LfcDL8 Dakota Johnson Has A Wardrobe Malfunction At People's Choice Awards 2016 | E! People's Choice Awards

Johnson didn’t have much dance experience prior to landing the role of Susie in this unnerving film. She spent nearly a year training for the part, however. All of that studying and sweat shines through whenever Johnson steps onto the dance floor. With her first dance scene, Susie establishes herself as a force to be reckoned with. Amplified by Thom Yorke’s haunting score, Susie’s dancing isn’t just intense. It’s so hypnotic that it draws in Tilda Swinton’s artistic director from the other room. It’s one of the film’s many triumphs of editing, choreography, and sound design with Johnson at the core. Johnson has never been more commanding on screen, setting the stage for a mesmerizing performance you can’t look away from.