Dakota Johnson has admitted she felt "exposed" when she was thrust into the spotlight after landing the starring role in 'Fifty Shades of Grey'.
Dakota Johnson for Allure magazine
The 28-year-old actress found fame after starring as Anastasia Steele in the 2015 romantic movie alongside Jamie Dornan - and has since reprised the role for its sequel 'Fifty Shades Darker', and the upcoming final instalment 'Fifty Shades Freed' - but has admitted she found the process of being in the spotlight "scary" at first.
She said: "Fundamentally, I'm open and warm. At my core, I'm a bleeding heart. But when your life is exposed and when the movie that exposes your life is exposing your emotions and your body, it can be very scary."
In the three years since first appearing on screen as Anastasia, Dakota - who is rumoured to be in a relationship with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin - has learned to balance her strength alongside her "vulnerable" side.
She added: "Throughout this entire experience, I've learned that I can expose my heart and my emotions and I can still protect myself. I can still be vulnerable and strong. It's a constant ebb and flow and a battle and trying to figure out how to have those things coexist within me. That's what I'm grateful for."
Dakota also admitted that in order to make sure she's taking on the right projects for her, she always has a "reason" for the roles she accepts.
She said: "I'm involved with the people [working on projects] for a reason, and it's always some sort of weird marriage to something that's happening in my life, or the character has some connection to something that's going on [in my life]."
One filmmaker Dakota is keen to work with again is Luca Guadagnino, whom she teamed up with for 2015's 'A Bigger Splash', as the pair "talk almost every day".
Speaking to Allure magazine, she said: "We talk almost every day. It's constantly creating and thinking of what we're going to do next, how we're going to evolve ... what's the next thing we're going to try to accomplish?"
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