Dakota Johnson recalls struggling to pay rent after being cut off by her father: “There were a few times I had no money”

Dakota Johnson may come from Hollywood royalty, but the road to her own success wasn’t without financial hurdles. In a candid conversation with her Materialists co-star Pedro Pascal for Elle UK, the actor opened up about the early years of her career, including being cut off financially by her father, actor Don Johnson, after not getting into Juilliard.

“I didn’t get in, and my dad cut me off because I didn’t go to college,” Johnson revealed. “So, I started auditioning. I think I was 19 when I did The Social Network, and then I picked up little jobs after that.”

But those jobs weren’t always enough to keep her afloat. “There were a few times when I’d go to the market and not have money in my bank account,” she shared. “Or not be able to pay rent, and I’d have to ask my parents for help. I’m very grateful that I had parents that could help me and did help me. But it certainly was not fun.”

Johnson described the auditioning process as “the worst”, noting how brutal and unpredictable the industry can be, especially for young actors trying to break through.

She also reflected on her Juilliard audition experience, calling it “awful and terrifying”. “When you get accepted for an audition, it’s a two-day-long chorus line thing. You’re supposed to get called back for a second audition, and I didn’t. It was fine,” she said, shrugging off the rejection with some perspective.

College, she explained, was never truly her ambition. “I really didn’t want to go to college,” she admitted. “The idea of being in a classroom with the same group of people and figuring out how to be a human in that environment… it just felt really wrong to lock myself in one place.”

Johnson stars alongside Pascal and Chris Evans in Materialists, the latest feature from Past Lives director and Oscar nominee Celine Song. The romantic drama, produced by A24, is set to hit theaters on June 13.