Actress Dakota Johnson rose to fame playing the role of Anastasia Steele in the Fifty Shades trilogy. Based on the E. L. James’ novel of the same name, the movie series featured the 34-year-old actress alongside Jamie Dornan, and it made $1.3 billion at the box office. However, before the Heart of Stone actor joined Johnson as one of the leading stars of the trilogy, his role was offered to Charlie Hunnam.
Soon after the news broke out, Hunnam dropped out of the 2015 film. The Suspiria actress candidly reacted to the actor leaving the film, as she claimed that things still turned out pretty well.
Dakota Johnson on Charlie Hunnam Leaving Fifty Shades of Grey
The 2015 film Fifty Shades of Grey introduced Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. Despite negative reviews from critics, the movie went on to be a box-office success, making $570 million worldwide.
However, the role of Christian Grey was initially offered to Charlie Hunnam. Earlier reports related to the project revealed that The Lost City of Z actor was set to star alongside Johnson. But he later backed out due to scheduling conflicts with his FX series Sons of Anarchy.
As per IMDb, The Social Network actress was disappointed when Hunnam decided to leave the project. The actress also talked about the same during an appearance on David Latterman’s talk show. “I think it was [that] his schedule conflicted,” she said, explaining that it was a “confusing moment.”
She also shared that after Hunnam left, they had to start over with the male lead, and it took them around one month to find Dornan. “But it was alright, it turned out okay, I think,” she said, talking about working with Dornan in the billion-dollar trilogy.
Why Did Charlie Hunnam Leave Fifty Shades of Grey?
The filmmakers went through a range of actors to cast in the 2015 adaptation of E. L. James’ novel. However, many turned down the offer due to its explicit content. But Charlie Hunnam has said that he had no such issues with the role.
The actor shared that he had already committed to Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak and was also busy with the final season of his FX series Sons of Anarchy. “I’d given Guillermo my word, over a year before, that I was going to do this film,” he told V Man in an interview, as per Variety.
He also shared that it was the most difficult thing he had to do professionally as he described it as the “worst professional experience” of his life. However, Hunnam later shared in an interview that “everything happens the way it’s supposed” to be, suggesting that Jamie Dornan was destined to portray the character.
The Fifty Shades trilogy is available on Peacock.
