Dakota Johnson Jokes That ‘Fifty Shades’ “Killed” Sex in Movies

Is sex in movies dead? It depends who you ask. In a recent Variety “Actors on Actors” interview with Armie Hammer, actress Dakota Johnson joked that she “killed” sex in movies with the three Fifty Shades films, all of which practically broke the internet with their many (and we mean many) sex scenes. After getting in the zinger, Johnson went on to say that “sex and nudity” make many American viewers “uncomfortable,” so in order to get around that, she chose to work on Suspiria with Luca Guadagnino, an Italian filmmaker with no such reservations.

After discussing their recent projects, including Hammer’s Sorry to Bother You and On the Basis of Sex (which Johnson hilariously combined into “Sorry to Have Sex with You”), Hammer turned the conversation to sex scenes. “So, Dakota, do you think sex in movies is dead?” he asked. Johnson answered with a smile. “Yeah, because I killed it,” she said. “Hey-o.” Hammer immediately burst out laughing, saying, “Yeah you did.”

All jokes aside, Johnson doesn’t actually think that sex in movies is dead. “No, I don’t,” she said in response to Hammer’s initial question. “I don’t either,” he said. “I’ve actually never heard that. I’ve never heard anyone say that sex in movies is dead.” Johnson agreed, saying that she doesn’t believe that will ever be the case. “I think that movies are meant to tell both completely unrealistic and completely realistic stories,” she said. “And people do have sex,” added Hammer. The duo agreed that Guadagnino is a great director because he “fully embraces the humanity and the grittiness” of sex and relationships, said the Suspiria star. “[Guadagnino] is fascinated by how uncomfortable it is to be a person, to have relationships,” Johnson added, “And sex is a big part of that.”

Johnson and Hammer went on to discuss the differences between sex scenes in an indie film, like Call Me By Your Name or Suspiria, and those of a studio film like Fifty Shades. “I think in studio films, you don’t have people in sex scenes — they wear bras and underwear, and you’re covered,” said Johnson. “Because sex and nudity makes people uncomfortable. Because people in America, specifically, have been sexually oppressed for so long. So maybe that’s a testament to being a European filmmaker.”

Johnson and Hammer’s discussion about sex in movies begins at the 26:40 mark in the video above. You can read a transcript of their “Actors on Actors” interview here.

Where to stream Fifty Shades of Grey