How Old Dakota Johnson & Jamie Dornan Are In The Fifty Shades Of Grey Movies
Summary
- Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan were well-cast in Fifty Shades, matching the book characters’ ages and descriptions accurately.
- Despite being slightly older than their characters, both actors brought experience and skill to navigate the intense themes of the film series.
- The careful consideration of casting was evident, as the box office success of Fifty Shades proves their faithful portrayal of the book characters.
Curiously, Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan don’t exactly match the ages of their characters in Fifty Shades of Grey. Based on E.L. James’ 2011 book Fifty Shades of Grey, the film revolves around a recent college graduate, Ana Steele (Johnson), who captures the attention of enigmatic businessman Christian Grey (Dornan). Both actors were well-suited and age-appropriate for their roles, aligning with the book characters’ descriptions. However, determining their exact ages can be challenging without reference to the book, despite both characters celebrating birthdays during the series.
Both Dornan and Johnson had significant movie roles before the film, proving their experience in the industry despite being cast at a relatively young age. This background proved invaluable as they navigated the film’s intense and explicit themes within its compressed timeline. The entire Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy takes place over a several-month span, plus a short epilogue in Fifty Shades Freed that takes place three years in the future. Despite critical reviews of Fifty Shades of Grey’s pacing and plot, Johnson and Dornan were appropriately cast, as demonstrated by the series’ $1.3 billion box office total.
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Dakota Johnson Was 25 Years Old When Filming Fifty Shades Of Grey
Born: October 4, 1989
Dakota Johnson, born in 1989, was 25 years old when the first movie premiered. She was 24 during much of the filming, having been cast as Ana at the age of 23. In the first movie, Ana Steele was 21 years old, making Johnson’s casting age-appropriate. Much of her appeal to Christian revolves around her naivety, having just entered the adult world. In the sequel, Fifty Shades Darker, Johnson was 27 years old while continuing to play the 21-year-old Ana. In the third film, Fifty Shades Freed, Ana turned 22, and in the epilogue, she was presented as 25 years old, while Johnson herself was 28 during filming.
| Film | Premiere Date | Johnson’s Age | Ana’s Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fifty Shades of Grey | February 13, 2015 | 25 | 21 |
| Fifty Shades Darker | February 10, 2017 | 27 | 21 |
| Fifty Shades Freed | February 9, 2018 | 28 | 21, 22, 25 |
Ana Steele is based on 17-year-old Bella Swan from the
Twilight
series.
Jamie Dornan Was 32 Years Old when Filming Fifty Shades Of Grey
Born: May 1, 1982
Jamie Dornan, born in 1982, was 32 years old when Fifty Shades of Grey premiered. He was cast for the film at the age of 30, just three years older than Christian, who was 27 at the beginning of the series. Dornan was 34 years old during the filming of Fifty Shades Darker when Christian’s 28th birthday occurred, his party becoming a significant plot point in the film. By the time of the third film, Fifty Shades Freed, released in 2018, Dornan was 35 years old, while Christian was still 28 years old, and later 31 in the epilogue.
| Film | Premiere Date | Dornan’s Age | Christian’s Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fifty Shades of Grey | February 13, 2015 | 32 | 27 |
| Fifty Shades Darker | February 10, 2017 | 34 | 27, 28 |
| Fifty Shades Freed | February 9, 2018 | 35 | 28, 31 |
Though Dornan was in his early 30s and in turn, a bit older than his book counterpart, the age difference wasn’t big enough to be viewed as easily noticeable. After all,
the decision to cast both Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan had been carefully considered,
as it was important for the film to be faithful to the characters as described in the books. And if the movies’ box office numbers are any indication, it would seem that
Fifty Shades of Grey
succeeded in that regard.
Fifty Shades of Grey
Based on the book by E.L. James, Fifty Shades of Grey is the first film in the trilogy that follows naive literature student Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), whose life changes upon meeting the complicated and tormented billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dorman). Drawn to each other, the two start a romantic relationship where Steele uncovers Grey’s secrets – and explores her own personal desires.
- Director
- Sam Taylor-Johnson
- Release Date
- February 13, 2015
- Studio(s)
- Focus Features , Michael De Luca Productions , Trigger Street Productions
- Writers
- Kelly Marcel
- Cast
- Jennifer Ehle , Dakota Johnson , Jamie Dorman , Marcia Gay Harden , Eloise Mumford , Victor Rasuk , Luke Grimes , Rita Ora
- Runtime
- 125 Minutes
- Franchise(s)
- Fifty Shades of Grey
- Budget
- $40 Million
