"I learned what it is like to be compassionate and helpful to others." Dakota Johnson talks about her new film, “Our Friend”. The 31-year-old daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, granddaughter of Tippi Hedren, the legendary “The Birds” actress, Dakota Johnson has become almost more famous than her illustrious parents thanks to the “50 Shades of Grey” franchise potraying Anastasia Steele.
Recently released in the United States, “Our Friend” tells the true story of a woman, Nicole Teague, and her desperate battle against cancer and the sacrifice she demands from the whole family. The couple's best friend (played by Jason Segel) drops everything to look after the couple and daughters during Nicole's battle. Based on the article written by her husband, Matthew Teague (Casey Affleck in the film), published in Esquire in the United States in 2015, the film is considered a kind of modern variation of “Terms of Endearment”, (the famous Oscar winning film of 1984).
“Playing a person who faces death taught me how you have to be brave to be really attentive to yourself and others, because the idea that life can be so short is scary”, explains the actress through Zoom home in Malibu, “maybe love and compassion won't save your life, but certainly the lives of other people you love.”
“Our Friend” also talks about the value of friendship: do you have long-lasting and deep friendships?
Dakota: I would say yes: my best friend has been with me since we were little. We grew up differently, we took different paths in life, but it remains one of the most precious things for me. In friendships, you express the best of yourself, I believe, you can afford to be brave, take risks and be altruistic and compassionate at the same time.
