Dakota Johnson described her experience filming the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy in an interview with Vanity Fair. When Johnson, then 23, auditioned for the role of Anastasia Steele for the 2015 film, she read a monologue from Ingmar Berman's 1966 classic Persona, leading her to believe the experience and film would be "really special." On-set problems, stemming from issues with the studio, directors, and the book’s author E.L. James led to what the actress described as a "tricky" and "psychotic" process.

“She [author James] had a lot of creative control, all day, every day, and she just demanded that certain things happen,” Johnson said. “There were parts of the books that just wouldn’t work in a movie, like the inner monologue, which was at times incredibly cheesy. It wouldn’t work to say out loud. It was always a battle. Always."

Although Jamie Dornan starred in the films' as Johnson's love interest, Charlie Hunnam was initially cast as Christian Grey. When scheduling conflicts interfered with Hunnam's ability to participate, James became upset and scrapped a revised script by playwright Patrick Marber. Once Dornan was cast, director Sam Taylor-Johnson tried to bring the revised script back into play, but only portions of that version made their way to the final product. Johnson tells Vanity Fair that the contract negotiation scene from the first film, which she considers "the best scene in the whole movie" was from Marber's script.

“We’d do the takes of the movie that Erika wanted to make, and then we would do the takes of the movie that we wanted to make. The night before, I would rewrite scenes with the old dialogue so I could add a line here and there. It was like mayhem all the time," Johnson said.

Johnson went on to say that James always treated her and Dornan well and that the author was a kind woman.

Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan's Professional Relationship

Fifty Shades of Gray
Universal Pictures

Johnson also addressed rumors that she and Dornan did not get along while filming the trilogy. The actress said:

“There was never a time when we didn’t get along. I know it’s weird, but he’s like a brother to me. I love him so, so, so much. And we were really there for each other. We had to really trust each other and protect each other.”

While Johnson believes that the films, which explore a sadomasochistic relationship, may not be presently made due to today's standards, she tells Vanity Fair she is proud of the final outcome, and that she has no regrets about starring in the films.

Fifty Shades of Grey was Johnson's breakthrough role. While the films were not applauded by critics, they were popular among audiences. Since then, Johnson has appeared in a number of other films including Suspiria, inspired by Dario Argento's cult-classic horror film, Bad Times at the El Royale, The Peanut Butter Falcon, and Cha Cha Real Smooth. She is set to star in this summer's Jane Austen Persuasion adaptation and next year's Madame Web as the titular character.

Related: Jamie Dornan Has No Regrets About Starring in Fifty Shades of Grey