‘They’re Really Silly!’ Sam Taylor-Johnson On Jamie And Dakota’s Chemistry

Ahead of the London premiere of Fifty Shades of Grey, we sat down with director Sam Taylor-Johnson to find out a little more about Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson's chemistry, what she thinks of the reviews and whether she'll be back for round two (and three)...

**Grazia Daily: **Chemistry was obviously very important when finding your Christian and Anastasia, how did this work when casting?

Sam: "We cast Dakota early on and she came in and we gave all the actresses a tough task - they had to learn a four page monologue. It was a good way for us to sort the wheat from the chaff and to get quickly to a place where we had our Anastasia. We had her early on, so Dakota could then play against lots of different guys until we found the right one. With Jamie it wasn't what we expected. They came in together and just were roaring with laughter, being really silly, and trying to out-funny each other because they are both really funny people and I thought 'that's just perfect.' Actually it's also what this film needs, some more lightness to it.'

Grazia Daily: So it wasn't just how they looked together?

Sam: No. Of course that's something that is important too, but it was just how they were together, the chemistry of humour is quite a powerful one equally to every other chemistry.'

Grazia Daily: The reviews have started coming in - do you pay attention to them?

Sam: 'Don't tell me! No! But sometimes people just can't help telling me. Someone came in and was like 'amazing review, you've got this many stars', and then someone else said 'yeah but you got...' and I'm like 'please let me just enjoy that one, don't come and bring me down with that one. So no I don't read them'

**Grazia Daily: **There's obviously a lot of hype around the film, how do you cope with all the attention?

Sam: 'I've been working in a dark room with one other person for the past 10 months editing and it was a very long process of editing. Not being able to show any friends or family orshow test screenings. The first screening we did was a fan screening with a thousand very excited fans, so to go from that dark place of quietness to suddenly out in the world with it on such a big scale was really overwhelming. I just try to keep focused and not think about it too much - try and be very zen about it.'

**Grazia Daily: In the books there is a lot on their sexual relationship - how on screen do you balance that? ****

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Sam:'It was hard. We tried to balance that at script level and there were many drafts where we felt there was too much, not enough, it came in too late and then too early. It was finessing that went right through to editing as well. I think we found the right balance, I really do - there's enough of a strong, complex love story and that's of equal importance to people being excited about seeing those scenes too.'

**Grazia Daily: **Was your husband on set with you?

Sam:'He was like my own creative producer next to me all the way through. He came to script meetings with me, and on set with me, and right through to the editing. It's really useful from his perspective - in script meetings I'd have him read lines so I could hear somebody say them before we'd cast anyone. I trust him more than anyone to be able to say 'what do you think of that?' We're a good team.'

Grazia Daily: Would you like to be involved in the next two?

**Sam: **'I am optioned to do the next two but the studio are waiting to see how this one goes! I don't know what they're talking about right now, I don't know anything. I have signed up for them and we'll see what happens, but I've equated it to when I've had my kids and you've just had a baby and people go 'so are you having another one?' And you're like 'wait! Let me just enjoy this one first and then we'll see!'

Grazia Daily: What was Dakota like to work with?

**Sam: **'Amazing she is an extraordinarily talented actress. She will go very far, very fast. One of the most important things is she has a lot of humour. We had her improvise scenes which are up there on the screen. She and I worked really closely on the journey of Anastasia and the character and to feel like we were empowering her to a different place.'

Grazia Daily: So her journey is really important, how can we see her progress?

Sam: 'A lot of women and young women are going to come and see it and I felt we had to empower her and give her the final word so he is the more vulnerable one at the end when she can stand up to him. I thought that was an important message.'

Fifty Shades of Grey is in cinemas on Friday. See stills in the gallery below...