Dakota Johnson spills all on filming sex scenes in racy chat... after Chris Martin break-up

Daily Mail​

10-06-2025

She catapulted to fame playing a young woman embarking on a sadomasochistic relationship in the erotic Fifty Shades of Grey franchise.
Now Dakota Johnson has given the inside scoop on the filming of a sex scene.
The star, who is back on the market after splitting from Chris Martin, told Amy Poehler she is 'always psyched' to shoot the steamy moments.
When asked how she hypes herself up for portraying the act on camera, the actress, 35, said during Poehler's Good Hang podcast: 'I don't have to. I'm, like, always psyched up for sex.'
Dakota opened up about working with an intimacy coordinator for the first time, who suggested using a Pilates ball during particularly amorous moments - a foreign concept to the star, who didn't even end up using it.
She also described how lessons she learned from her mother Melanie Griffith about being comfortable in her own skin has rippled into her own career on camera.
'I recently did a movie a few months ago, and we had an intimacy coordinator on set and it was the first time I've ever worked with one, and she was really great. It was so cool, because I'm so used to just you know, like... It's a sex scene. It's not sexy, it doesn't feel good,' she said.
She even broke down a sex scene to Poehler: 'A sex scene is when two actors pretend that they're having sex. And you do all the things except have sex. And you have to make sounds like you're having sex, and you're not...yet,' she joked, laughing.
In preparation for the scene, Dakota said part of it depended on the type of character she was playing.
'First I think it depends on who is the character, and who is the character supposed to be to the audience. Is she like a super idolized hot girl, is she like a housewife, is she lonely, is she scared, is she conservative, you know? So that's obviously character work, so certain prep I guess would go into it,' she said.
Additionally, Dakota needs to feel comfortable in her own body - something her mother stressed to her growing up and an asset that has helped her acting.
'I want to feel good in my body,' she said. 'If I'm showing my body... my mom raised to me to be really, really proud of my body and love my body, so I've always felt so grateful for that, especially in my work, because I can use it and it feels like, real.'
Dakota said her mother was 'honest and open about body stuff', which included menstruation.
'I have friends whose mothers never spoke to them about that stuff and it's so hard and sad,' she said.
Melanie also emphasized how 'precious and important' the act of sex is to Dakota.
'She also talked to me about sex and like how precious and important,' Dakota explained. 'So I guess in my work... it's something that I feel brave with and that I feel when it's used the right way in a story, it's important.
As for the intimacy coordinator, Dakota was surprised by the Pilates ball suggestion.
'So I've always just like done the simulated sex scene but now with the intimacy coordinator, was like, "Do you want a Pilates ball between you guys for the thrusting movement?"... And I was like, "What?" But then we're going to be like so far away from each other, and we didn't end up using that,' she said later in the conversation.
Interestingly, Dakota said she has filmed numerous sex scenes on her own as her on-screen partner was not on camera.
'A lot of it also is like, there are times when I've done a sex scene where I'm by myself 'cause I'm only in the frame, so I'm just like, gyrating on my own and moaning... or like slamming myself into a headboard,' she said laughing.
Dakota, who plays a matchmaker in her upcoming rom-com Materalists, rose to fame playing Anastasia Steele in the erotic Fifty Shades film.
The films saw her play a young woman in a relationship with bondage-obsessed billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan).
Meanwhile, the actress is now back on the market.
DailyMail.com confirmed last week that Dakota had split from Coldplay singer Chris Martin after almost eight years together.
The couple first sparked up a relationship in 2017 and got engaged several years ago - but have now gone their separate ways.
A source told DailyMail.com: 'Their relationship has been over for a long time, they just haven't been able to figure out to make it official. Dakota held a flame for them to be together because she loved him so much and loved his kids so much.
'Breakups aren't instant and they continued to breakup and makeup and sometimes things would work when they were away from each other, while they were working because absence makes the heart grow fonder, but then they'd get back together and little things just kept adding up to where they weren't right for each other anymore.
'Dakota is devastated that she isn't going to be around his kids as much anymore, but wants them to know that she is always there for them.'
The source added there is a chance the pair may reconcile but 'right now, being separated will do wonders if they were to have any type of future together.'