Got nothing to do for the next 5 minutes? Then you’ll be thrilled to find out what we have in store for you. Recently, actor Don Johnson appeared on Late Night With Seth Myers to discuss his daughter Dakota, a popular actress in her own right. He noted that she has never asked him for acting advice and that once she graduated from high school, she was determined to find success without expecting financial help from either of her famous parents, mother Melanie Griffith included. A mere three weeks after she received her high school diploma, she had accepted a role in The Social Network. And the rest is history. Here are a few more facts about Dakota Johnson that you might not have known.
She was discouraged from being a child actor
Having two parents in Hollywood (in addition step-parents such as Griffin’s ex Antonio Banderas) certainly makes it easier to get into the industry. But Melanie and Don weren’t thrilled with the idea of their daughter acting when she was still in school. They wanted her to live as normal a childhood as possible, which is why she didn’t launch a serious career as an actress until after she had graduated.
But she wasn’t entirely out of the limelight as a kid
Although she made her film debut at the age of 9 when she appeared in Crazy in Alabama as a daughter to her real-life mother Griffith (a film directed by Banderas), it would be her only movie as a child. But this doesn’t mean she wasn’t finding other ways to earn some money. She signed a modeling contract with IMG Models in 2006 at the age of 16. In 2009 she modeled for the Spanish-based clothing retailer MANGO line of jeans.
Her parents’ backgrounds couldn’t have been more opposite
Melanie Griffith grew up in an affluent household. Her mother is actress and animal activist Tippi Hedren, perhaps best known for starring in Alfred Hitchcock’s horror movie The Birds. Meanwhile, her father Peter Griffith was a child actor who performed on Broadway and eventually became an advertising executive. On the other hand, Don Johnson was raised in poverty, the child of poor Kansas farmers. But his acting talents — most notably as James “Sonny” Crockett in the TV series Miami Vice — made him wealthy and famous. Does all of this impress Dakota? Not really. In fact, she has stated that she gets tired of answering questions about being born to celebrity parents.
She once saved 10 horses from the glue factory
Much like her animal activist grandmother, Dakota is also active in animal rights issues. Growing up on her father’s ranch in Colorado, she bonded with his horses, even learning how to ride them at the age of 10. So in 2014 when she found out that the Pantelleria Equestrian Center in Italy was about to close down, she donated $8000 to keep it running, effectively saving the lives of 10 horses in the process. Here’s to hoping they live long, happy lives doing horsey things like galloping, neighing and eating hay.
She’s best friends with Elvis Presley’s granddaughter
When you grow up in a famous household, one of the perks is that you get to hang out with the children of other famous folks. In the case of Dakota, she’s BFFs with Riley Keough, whose mother Lisa Marie Presley is the daughter of the King of Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches himself. When we say they’re friends, we don’t just mean Dakota added Riley on Facebook and they occasionally “like” each others’ photos and comments; Johnson was one of the bridesmaids at Keough’s wedding. So yeah. They’re tight. It’s also been noted that she’s friends with Paris Hilton. And Mary-Kate Olsen. But apparently not Ashley?
She never “likes” Elvis Presley’s granddaughter’s photos and comments on Facebook
This has nothing to do with Dakota acting contrite. We’re confident that she has nothing against whatever it is Keough posts. It’s just that Johnson ditched FB several years ago when she began to realize she was using it to stalk others. Nobody wants to admit to this even though we are all guilty of doing it from time to time, but at least she has the onions come clean about it!
She does not suffer from alcohol or drug abuse, okay?
It is well documented that both of her parents have struggled with substance abuse, going in and out of rehab clinics throughout their careers. So when Dakota checked into the Visions Teen Treatment Center in Malibu, California in 2007, rumors began to swirl that she also had problems with the booze bottle. However, she vehemently denied this, stating that she was seeking treatment to deal with her long-standing depression.
She clearly has a thing for musicians
Through the years Dakota has been linked to American musician Noah Gersh, the former guitarist for the rock group Portugal. The Man; Matthew Hitt, the lead vocalist for the Welsh band Drowners; and since October 2017 has been in a steady relationship with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. The two share a house together in Malibu.
