Dakota Mayi Johnson was born on October 4, 1989, in Austin, Texas, USA. She is an American actress and fashion model. She is the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, and her maternal grandmother is actress Tippi Hedren.

She made her film debut at the age of ten with a minor role in "Crazy in Alabama" in 1999, directed by her then-stepfather Antonio Banderas. After graduating from high school, she began auditioning for roles in Los Angeles and was cast in a minor part in "The Social Network" in 2010.

She gained widespread recognition for her role as Anastasia Steele in the "Fifty Shades" film series from 2015 to 2018. Her performance in the series earned her a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination and a place in Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in 2016.

Her career continued to flourish with roles in films such as "Black Mass" in 2015, "A Bigger Splash" in 2015, "How to Be Single" in 2016, "Suspiria" in 2018, "Bad Times at the El Royale" in 2018, "The Peanut Butter Falcon" in 2019, "The Lost Daughter" in 2021, and "Cha Cha Real Smooth" in 2022. She also produced "Cha Cha Real Smooth" under her company TeaTime Pictures. She has since played the title role in "Madame Web" in 2024.

In her personal life, Dakota Johnson has been in a relationship with Coldplay lead vocalist Chris Martin since December 2017. She has six half-siblings from her parents' other relationships. Her family moved frequently during her childhood due to her parents' occupations, and she spent much of her time on film sets and at premieres.

Despite the constant travel, she attended high school in one place for all four years while living with her mother and stepfather Antonio Banderas in Los Angeles. Her parents discouraged her from becoming an actor, but she knew from a young age that she wanted to be a star.

Throughout her career, Dakota Johnson has received several awards and nominations. She won the Robert Altman Award from the Independent Spirit Awards as part of the ensemble for "Suspiria."

She also received a People's Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress for "Fifty Shades of Grey" and nominations for two MTV Movie & TV Awards and the BAFTA Rising Star Award.