The Netflix original is an adaptation of Austen’s last completed novel of the same name and is set in the early 1800s English countryside.
The film was directed by veteran theater director and first-time feature director Carrie Cracknell, with a screenplay by Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow. Alongside Johnson, Persuasion stars actors like Cosmo Jarvis, Richard E. Grant, Nikki Amuka-Bird, and Henry Golding.
Anne Elliot was persuaded by her close ones that her partner Frederick Wentworth was not up to par in social standing to marry into their family since he was just a regular naval officer. Nine years later, they chance upon each other, Wentworth now a wealthy and distinguished officer in the naval forces, having just served during the war.
Anne also meets her distant cousin Mr. William Elliot, a charming gentleman who takes a liking to her and intends to court her with the prospect of marriage. But Anne and Wentworth realize their feelings for each other have not fizzled out even after years and reconcile their love.
Netflix’s Jane Austen adaptation dropped on the streaming platform this Friday, July 15, 2022, with Dakota Johnson taking the helm as the protagonist.
1) Dakota Johnson comes from a family of stars
Dakota Johnson hails from one of the oldest and most prominent families of Hollywood personalities. Her acting prowess manifests from a long and wide history of actors who have gained prominence in their own time.
Dakota Johnson is the daughter of Melanie Griffith, who was famous for her role as Tess McGill in the 1988 film Working Girl. She even received a Golden Globe Award and Academy Award Nomination for her role.
Her biological father, Don Johnson, is another eminent Hollywood personality famous for his role as James “Sonny” Crockett, one of the two detectives in Miami Vice.
He is also a Golden Globe winner and an Academy Award nominee. His latest on-screen work was in the multi-starrer thriller title Knives Out as Richard Drysdale.
Johnson’s grandmother, Tippi Hedren, worked extensively with pioneering director Alfred Hitchcock in some of his foremost titles, like The Birds and Marnie, in the leading roles.
Her stepfather is also one of the most eminent Spanish actors, Antonio Banderas. Famous for his roles in The Mask of Zorro, Desperado and many more popular films, his latest work was Tom Holland starrer Uncharted as Santiago Moncada, a ruthless treasure hunter. Johnson has spoken extensively about how influential Banderas had been in her life and career.
2) She has been dating Chris Martin for five years
The Fifty Shades actor has been in a relationship with the lead singer of the band Coldplay for over five years. Chris Martin and Dakota met sometime in 2017 and were first spotted on a sushi date in Los Angeles. Although speculations began of them being a thing, they kept it under wraps for over a year, finally confirming the relationship in 2018.
Martin divorced Gwyneth Paltrow in 2016, but they were on good terms, and even Johnson became part of Martin’s extended family very soon. They celebrated the 2018 Thanksgiving together with Martin and Paltrow’s two children, Apple and Moses.
3) The Johnsons made history as Miss Golden Globe
Dakota Johnson was honored with the role of Miss Golden Globe for the 63rd ceremony in 2006 at 17. This marked the first time a mother and daughter came to host the prestigious award ceremony. This could be considered the foundation of her career in Hollywood.
4) Despite her recent success, she had a slow start in her early years
Despite being from a long line of prominent actors, Dakota Johnson has had relatively humble beginnings, climbing her way through the Hollywood industry with her sheer acting prowess.
Her debut in film acting career came in 1999 at the age of only 10, alongside her mother and half-sister, in Crazy in Alabama, directed by her stepfather Antonio Banderas.
But after high school, she was turned down when she tried out for the prestigious Juilliard School.
Dakota Johnson in The Office (Image via NBC)
In 2006, she signed up to model with IMG and worked for brands like Mango and Wish before moving back to films. She had minor supporting roles in films from 2010 to 2014, like The Social Network, Beastly, For Ellen, Goats, The Five-Year Engagement, 21 Jump Street, and Need for Speed. She even appeared in NBC’s The Office as a new hire in its series finale.
Finally, after years of struggle, 2015 saw her get the big break that catapulted her to overnight stardom. She was cast as Anastasia Steele in the erotic romance Fifty Shades of Grey, which became her career’s highlight points.
5) Her love of getting inked
Unbeknownst to many, Dakota Johnson is quite the tattoo enthusiast, with over a dozen tattoos spread across her body. She has been getting inked for quite some time and has tattoos on her back, behind her ear, both forearms, on her heel, and a mysterious tattoo on her buttocks.
Fans may be shocked to hear this since none of them were seen in any of the Fifty Shades scenes which had her expose her skin. This was due to body makeup and not a body double, as we have already found out, she did not use a body double in most scenes.
Johnson’s left forearm tattoo says “lightly my darling” (Image via Getty)
Johnson has stated that her favorite of all her inks is the one on her left forearm, right above her wrist, a quote from Aldous Huxley’s Island that reads “lightly my darling.”
These were some of Dakota Johnson’s lesser-known facts that we thought fans might want to know about. If you know, any more obscure facts about the actor we missed, share with us in the comments.
Dakota Johnson starred Jane Austen’s novel adaptation, Persuasion, is now available for streaming exclusively on Netflix.