Dakota Johnson Elle Magazine Cover: ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’ Actress Says She Has ‘No Shame’ Filming BDSM Movie

“Fifty Shades of Grey” fans have a year to wait until the film hits theaters, but the stars of the erotic flick are already out in full force promoting it. Just several days after the film’s official site launch and the subsequent release of the franchise’s first poster, lead actress Dakota Johnson’s cover of Elle magazine was released Thursday.

In the cover story, the 24-year-old actress discusses her willingness to strip down for the highly sexualized role and her fascination with the storyline, based on the best-selling 2011 E.L. James novel of the same name. “I don’t have any problem doing anything,” said Johnson when about portraying Anastasia Steele, a sexually inexperienced college graduate who falls for BDSM-practicing billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). “The secret is I have no shame,” said the film star.

Johnson, who previously admitted to being obsessed with landing the coveted role, revealed to the magazine that it wasn’t the book series’ fan-beloved sex sequences that intrigued her, but more the love story between the leading characters. “Reading the book, I found myself more interested in the ways they were breaking each other down emotionally than the sex scenes,” said Johnson, adding, “I think there’s a part of a woman who wants to be the thing that breaks a man down.”

The “Fifty Shades” actress, who has remained mostly mum on her starring role, first spoke about the feature to Entertainment Weekly last November. According to the actress (daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson and granddaughter of Tippi Hedren), she hounded her management team in an effort to land the role, ultimately breaking down after learning she was selected for the part. “They said, ‘You got the offer,’ and I couldn’t speak,” Johnson told the magazine, saying, “I was just so relieved. I was crying and crying. Water was literally squirting out of my eyes because I had been so stressed out.”

Johnson began shooting “Fifty Shades of Grey” in Vancouver, Canada, in November. Most recently, the actress and her co-star, Dornan, 31, were spotted filming jogging scenes in Vancouver on Jan. 29. The film is currently scheduled for a February 2015 U.S. release.

Johnson’s cover issue of Elle, which also includes shots of the actress posing in various stages of undress, hits newsstands on Feb. 18.