Dakota Johnson found filming ‘Fifty Shades Darker’ "so much easier" than ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’.
The 27-year-old actress reprises her role of Anastasia Steele in the erotic sequel and she was much more comfortable shooting raunchy scenes this time around because she has such a good bond with Jamie Dornan, who plays Christian Grey, and the film’s crew now.
Speaking at the London premiere of the movie on Thursday (09.02.17) evening, she said: "It is so much easier especially knowing Jamie and having a relationship with him, and knowing the crew, it was such much easier than the first one."
The premiere was targeted by protesters who accused the movie of "glamorising and normalising" domestic abuse, with those objecting wearing T-shirts emblazoned with ’50 Shades is domestic abuse’ and waving placards featuring slogans such as ’50 Shades grooms women’ and ‘Christian Grey is a rapist’.
But Dakota insisted the group would think differently if they saw the movie.
She told MailOnline: "I think if those people were to see the film they would see that Anastasia is an incredibly empowered young woman and everything she does is of her own volition.
"I think she carries herself with such integrity and self worth that maybe if they watched it they would feel a little bit inspired."
And her co-star Jamie – who was accompanied to the event by his wife Amelia Warner – also insisted there was nothing forced about the sex in the movies.
He said: "The biggest part of S&M is boundaries, having a safe word, that’s what that is. People only do it because they want to, nobody forces you into it.
"Some people like to be tied up and whipped, I don’t but lots of people do in the world, they love it and that is their right. It’s consensual and that should close that argument."
Dakota and Jamie walked the red carpet at the premiere alongside a host of other stars including their co-star Rita Ora, Katie Price and her husband Kieran Hayler, reality TV star Lucy Mecklenburgh, actress Jorgie Porter and ‘Made in Chelsea’ beauties Louise Thompson and Stephanie Pratt.