Dakota Johnson shared her candid views on the complexities of acting and producing during a discussion at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia. The actress expressed a “love-hate relationship” with her profession, highlighting the challenges posed by “shady” financiers and the emotional struggles inherent in her craft.
In her participation in the “In Conversation With” series on December 8, 2023, Johnson reflected on her career journey and the motivations behind her transition into producing through her company, TeaTime Pictures. She emphasized the fulfillment that both acting and producing bring, despite the difficulties associated with the darker aspects of the entertainment industry.
“Financiers are really shady sometimes. It is heartbreaking. As a producer, it can be very heartbreaking. As an actress, it can be heartbreaking,” Johnson stated. She noted that producing presents unique challenges, as it exposes her to the more difficult realities behind the scenes, stating, “There’s something about acting where I feel I’m in a bubble, and with producing you see behind the curtain, and it’s really ugly.”
Johnson’s desire to become a producer stems from her upbringing. “Watching my parents work and watching how they would engage with filmmakers and producers and collaborators, I always wanted to be a larger part of the project,” she explained. Through TeaTime Pictures, which she runs with her best friend Ro Donnelly, Johnson has produced several notable projects, including the indie films Splitsville (2025), Daddio (2023), and Am I OK? (2022), as well as the documentary The Disappearance of Shere Hite (2023).
The company focuses on “mostly female-driven, human experience projects,” with Johnson stating, “I want to make movies about women and people that are going through some sort of evolution internally or externally.” She is also set to direct her first feature film, A Tree Is Blue, which will feature fellow actress and producer Jessica Alba.
Johnson, the daughter of actors Melanie Griffiths and Don Johnson, and granddaughter of screen legend Tippi Hedren, has faced her share of challenges in the industry. She acknowledged that she has sometimes taken on roles that were not the right fit for her, saying, “I think I’ve definitely been persuaded to do some things in the past that I realized, in retrospect, weren’t right for me.”
Reflecting on her career, Johnson highlighted her experience working on the 2019 film The Peanut Butter Falcon as one of the most fulfilling moments. “We were shooting in Savannah, Georgia… we were like a little family,” she recalled, praising her co-star Zack Gottsagen for his genuine energy and talent.
Johnson also discussed her collaborations with Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, describing the connection she felt during the making of A Bigger Splash (2015) and Suspiria (2018). She noted that working with Guadagnino made her feel “the most deeply seen” by a director. She recounted the initial anxiety she experienced when cast in A Bigger Splash at the age of 24, revealing that Tilda Swinton helped ease her nerves by assuring her, “you’re here because you’re meant to be here, and you can do this.”
The actress also praised her experience with director Maggie Gyllenhaal on The Lost Daughter (2021), describing her as a “force” and highlighting Gyllenhaal’s emotional intelligence as a driving factor in her direction. Johnson stated, “Maggie’s way of directing was very quiet… I was like, ‘I’m not sure I understand what you’re saying, but I’ll try.’”
As the discussion concluded, Johnson expressed her admiration for the burgeoning Saudi film scene and the festival’s efforts to promote female filmmakers from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. “I’m extremely inspired by my experience so far… I’ve met some of the most incredible women,” she noted, particularly praising Jomana R. Alrashid, chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation. “In the States, it feels really grim, and even in the less than 24 hours that I’ve been here, I have a renewed faith in cinema,” she added.
The Red Sea International Film Festival continues through to December 13, 2023, showcasing diverse talents and stories from around the world.
