Dakota Johnson has been in Hollywood for over twenty years. Considering all these years, the actress says she has seen the good and ugly sides of the industry.
Considering the latter case, the star criticizes financiers, whom she did not name, for being “shady.”
“Financials can be really shady sometimes. It’s heartbreaking. As a producer it can be very heartbreaking. As an actress it can be heartbreaking,” she says during a session at the Red Sea Film Festival.
Her criticism follows as she made her directorial debut with A tree is blue. But it’s not all doom and gloom in the sector, says Dakota.
“But both [producing and acting] are so incredibly fulfilling, and I’m very grateful to be able to do both,” the actress adds.
However, the Madame Web star admits that acting is less challenging than producing, as she explains: “There’s something about acting where I feel like I’m in a bubble, and [with] production you see behind the curtain, and it’s really ugly.
Despite difficulties, Dakota says she wanted to start producing because she wanted to be a bigger part of the project.
“Watching my parents work and how they interacted with filmmakers, producers and collaborators always made me want to be a bigger part of the project.”
She continues, “I just wanted to make my own projects and discover parts of myself and my artistry that I don’t think other people saw.”
A tree is blue is expected to hit theaters in 2026.
