Dakota Johnson Reflects on Her Breakthrough Role in ‘The Social Network’ and Awkward Encounter with President Obama
(Getty Images)
Dakota Johnson, now 34, recently looked back on her early career and her first significant role as an adult in 2010’s The Social Network. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the actress, daughter of Hollywood icons Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, opened up about her experience on the set of the critically acclaimed film, as well as an embarrassing moment involving her famous mother and then-President Barack Obama.
Johnson made her film debut as a child in Crazy in Alabama (1999), a movie directed by her stepfather Antonio Banderas, and starring her mother, Melanie Griffith. However, she was just 19 when she took on a small but memorable role in The Social Network, a performance that helped launch her adult acting career.
In the movie, Johnson appears in a single scene opposite Justin Timberlake, who played Sean Parker, the co-founder of Napster. Reflecting on the role in her Vanity Fair interview, she admitted to having “preconceived notions” about Timberlake before they met on set.
According to Daily Mail, “I was just like 19 and straddling Justin Timberlake, whipping him in the face with my hair,” Johnson said, recalling her character waking up Sean Parker in her Stanford dorm room. Despite her initial expectations, she described Timberlake as “lovely and kind” and “really welcoming” to a young actress who was a virtual stranger to him at the time.
Beyond the film industry, Johnson also shared a lighthearted but cringe-worthy story about how her mother, Melanie Griffith, once embarrassed her in front of President Barack Obama.
“This one time, I was with my mom, and we were meeting Barack Obama, and it was a huge deal,” Johnson recalled. “He was talking to her, and she goes, ‘Oh, Mister President, this is my daughter. She just did a movie, she’s an actress too. She was in The Social Network, she was in her underwear.’ And I died. I died inside.”
The Fifty Shades star has built a successful career, but that moment remains a memorable family anecdote. Earlier this year, Johnson had the opportunity to reunite with Timberlake when she hosted Saturday Night Live in January, where Timberlake served as the musical guest. Despite the passage of time, their brief interaction in The Social Network is still remembered as a pivotal moment in Johnson’s career.
As she continues to build her acting legacy, Dakota Johnson’s reflections on her early roles and personal stories show the blend of humility and humor that has helped her navigate her rise to fame.
