Dakota Johnson for Grazia Magazine (April 2018)
Outtakes
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Interview
When did you meet Gia Coppola for the first time?I find it hard to remember, we've been friends since we were young women. We grew up in Los Angeles, we frequented the same places, re-set the atmosphere of the cinema thanks to our families. This set, however, is a debut for us, it is the first time that we form a team. And I must say that it was a discovery.
What do you mean?
I was struck by the way in which Gia interprets and transforms reality with her imagination. She has an intense perspective, full of nuances and emotions. She likes working in an informal and engaging environment. Although, at the same time, she manages to be precise, efficient and has control of every detail.
The set of this service is not the usual cold and aseptic photographic studio, but a Coppola family home. What effect did this have?
Well, this too was an emotion. It is Gia's uncle's house, it is a very special environment that would delight some filmmakers. Here every piece of furniture, each floor axis seems to have a history, enclose a memory. And my feeling was to enter as a privilege in a very intimate universe. All the objects have been fixed to me, it can be seen that they have been chosen over time with great passion.
Three years ago in Pantelleria, among other things in another magnificent house, she shot A Bigger Splash directed by Luca Guadagnino. And soon we will see her being the protagonist of Suspiria, of the same director. Are you disappointed that at the last Oscars his film Call Me By Your Name won only the screenwriting award?
I am very fond of him and I consider myself lucky to have shared many experiences with a professional like Luca. We like to compare ourselves and put each other to the test. I really hope we will not miss the opportunities to continue collaborating. Also because next to him I have the impression of growing and maturing, not only as an actress but also as a person.
What do you want to say?
The Suspiria set, for example, was an important challenge for me. Whenever we were shooting a scene, I felt overwhelmed by emotions. Surely it was a stressful experience, but also rewarding for an actress like me.
With Guardagnino she got to know Italy, first Pantelleria, then Varese where several scenes of Suspiria were shot. What opinion do you have of our country?
I feel I could have a second Italian view. And I have to thank Luca for this. I would not have been able to discover and understand anything about this country without his help and the incredible people who he introduced me to and that today they have become my friends.
About important bounds. She actively supported her best friend, Sarah Nininger, who today leads the non-profit organization Action in Africa.
In fact, at the first vacation I decided to join her in Uganda where she is carrying out a project for children in difficulty and disabled.
Four years ago she saved 12 horses from the slaughterhouse. How important is an engagement for an actress like you?
My grandmother (the actress Tippi Hedren) conveyed to me the importance of being at the forefront of many battles. I am attentive to issues that involve the rights of people and animals, but it does not seem to me unusual. I simply use my position to help those who suffer or those who need it.
Why did you decide to act? Was it a way to realize herself a little bit of this family road?Do you want the truth?
I do not think I can do anything else. I started acting because I grew up surrounded by actors, I lived my childhood playing on sets, running between the legs of cameramen and directors. Cinema has always been what I wanted, the world that fascinated me the most. In a sense, I consider myself happy to have no other choice.
How much did you feel your career had changed since you took off?
Very very much. I had to learn to feel fun. I always think that in order to be successful in any work, obstacles must be overcome and forced to continually challenge oneself. But in the end, you always get something done.
In interviews, she never escapes to questions. And what effect does it have to have two famous parents and how she managed to shoot the sex scenes in 50 Shades. Doesn't she think that the time has finally come to turn the page?
Of course has arrived. But I do not think, for this reason, that the past is a cumbersome burden for me. I am grateful for the opportunities I had and the positive experiences I have experienced, just as much as I am curious and excited to discover my future.
In your opinion, self-confidence is something with which one is born or is built over time?
It is something that has to do with the ability to get out of the shell of your security to deal with difficult situations that often are a source of great anxiety. I swing a lot between these two dimensions. But I learned that they are two realities that can be lived together. I have enough confidence in myself to know that, even if at times I feel inadequate, no difficult situation will kill me and I can find something good and positive even in a disaster.
Outtakes 1 2
Scans 1 2
Interview translated by @LifeDJohnson
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