When it comes to steamy on-screen scenes, it goes without saying that the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise definitely takes the cake!
The first film was released back in 2015 and was inspired after the book series by author, E.L James. In 2017, Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson reprised their roles as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey in Fifty Shades Darker, all while ending the trilogy off in 2018 with Freed.
While the film left little to the imagination, there are still a few details that even some of the biggest fans of the film don't know about! So, what secrets lay behind the scenes of the Fifty Shades films? Let's dive in!
Updated on June 28th, 2021, by Michael Chaar: Fifty Shades first began back in 2015 when the book was transformed into a film trilogy. Despite working closely together, Dakota and Jamie were rumored to be feuding during the filming of the three films, however, Johnson quickly put those rumors to rest. The film was originally set to be titled Master Of The Universe, however, was later changed to its current name. As for the author, E.L. James, she was present on set every day, however, she went on to reveal that she had a "miserable" time doing so. As for Dakota, the only miserable time she had was filming the elevator scene in Darker, which was uncomfortable for the actress considering the number of extras and crew on set for that scene.
15 Someone Snuck Onto Set
Given the popularity of the movie, it isn’t surprising that there are some pretty crazed fans out there, however, at one point, a super fan took things a little bit too far! A woman snuck on set and hung around during the shooting of the film! She ended up doing some pretty strange things, including stacking cans of soda into the cooler.
Luckily for the crew and cast, security eventually caught on and escorted her out, launching a new trend of heavy security from that point forward, especially around Dakota and Jamie.
14 The Intimate Scenes Weren't A Walk In The Park
When it came to the intimate scenes, Dakota and Jamie definitely had a few laughing outbursts! There was apparently quite a bit of giggling while filming the sex scenes in this movie and was so frequent and distracting that numerous takes were required to get things right.
If you look really closely there are some hints of Dakota giggling ever so slightly in some of the scenes as fans have pointed out. As for Dakota's attire during the scenes, the actress revealed she wore skin-colored pasties in order to conceal her body during her and Dornan's sexy time scenes.
13 Jamie Dornan Never Actually Went Full Frontal
Jamie Dornan was not totally opposed to doing full-frontal nudity for this flick, however, made the decision to say no to it after all when it came to either of the three films.
The decision was made to be elusive and to give the illusion that he was completely nude in the scenes, but the audience never catches an actual glimpse of his lower region, despite many viewers hoping for the contrary!
12 Dakota Johnson Hated The Fake Elevator Scene
There was a fake elevator used for the elevator scene in Fifty Shades Darker, and it wasn’t something that Dakota was entirely comfortable with.
The actress revealed to Cosmopolitan magazine that it was this was actually the most difficult scene for her to shoot, despite there being some rather questionable on-screen moments. She didn’t enjoy being surrounded by so many extras and she just didn’t connect with the makeshift elevator set.
11 E.L. James Was Physically On-Set Each Day
E.L. James is the author extraordinaire that inspired the creation of this movie, and she was actually on set every single day!
She truly felt that this was movie was her “baby” and she was on site to view things as they unfolded, with the ability to intercept and weigh in at any time. Despite her being around for the filming of each film, the author revealed that she actually had a "miserable" time doing so. Yikes!
10 Lucy Hale Originally Auditioned To Be Anastasia
Initially Lucy Hale had auditioned for the role of Anastasia Steele, which obviously would go on to Dakota Johnson, but she just couldn’t get into the groove of what was required by the producers.
She says that it was “uncomfortable” for her to say some of the things they wanted her to read aloud and she wasn’t entirely comfortable with a lot of the content that she would have had to act out, therefore, she declined.
9 Rope Sales Skyrocketed After The Movie
Hardware stores and specialty shops across the country reported an increase in the sales of “soft cotton rope”, as reported by Cosmopolitan. Watching the movie is one thing, but apparently, fans really wanted to try exploring some of the wildest moments featured in the film.
They were very willing to drop some money on a few props while they re-lived some of their favorite moments, rope being one of the biggest sellers at hardware stores!
8 Jamie Dornan Visited A Sex Dungeon For Research
Yes, sex dungeons are a real thing! There are sex dungeons out there somewhere, according to Jamie Dornan, and he would know – he’s visited them! While it's no secret that actors do a bit of research when it comes to taking on a character, Jamie Dornan took the research to a whole other level.
He claims to have been there for observational purposes while he prepared for his role. This is definitely a very unique research method!
7 Dakota Johnson Had A Body Double
Dakota was able to dictate where she needed her personal comfort lines to be drawn. She was provided with a butt-double that stood in for her and assumed the roles that she was not entirely comfortable executing on her own.
While we certainly can’t tell that a body double was used but we’re sure Dakota was grateful for it!
6 Jamie Dornan's Wife Refuses To Watch The First Movie
With the storyline that unfolds on screen, it's no surprise that Jamie Dornan's wife, Amelia Warner, doesn't want to watch the movie!
Judging by the nature of the movie it's not a huge surprise to hear that Jamie’s wife in real life had no interest in seeing the first movie. While we’re sure she was proud of her husband’s success, it’s understandable that the content may not have been a welcome sight.
5 The Props And Toys Were Real!
For those who were wondering, yes it’s true. The props and toys used in the movie were all 100% real. However, out of respect for Dakota’s safety and comfort, some of the props were modified and toned down.
Rabbit fur or significantly softer leather were added to lighten the effects of the toys that were used during filming.
4 They Had Expensive Items On The Set
This has to be one of the most exciting things to discover about a movie. While much of the set was fake or make-shifted there were some props and elements within the movie that were very real and significantly valuable.
The grand piano is a Fazioli F278 which is worth $270,000 sat within Christian Grey's $6.2 million penthouse. Also, let’s not forget the helicopter which was valued at a cool $3.2 million!
3 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' Was Not The Original Title
We can’t imagine this movie going by another name, but at one point that was certainly the case.
E.L. James originally called this story Master of the Universe but it was renamed and it is now known by the title Fifty Shades Of Grey which we all know and love.
2 Jamie Dornan Needed Help With His Accent
In an adorable display of camaraderie, Dakota worked hard to assist Jamie in nailing down his American accent, considering the actor is, in fact, from the United Kingdom.
She went so far as to do dramatic readings with him with emphasis put on the pronunciation of each word. Dakota even had a T-shirt made for Jamie which had his lines printed phonetically on it.
1 Rumors Claimed Jamie & Dakota Didn't Get Along
Fans were slightly skeptical when it came to Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan's relationship. Considering the two weren't dating in real life, it was assumed that they actually didn't get along at all!
Rumors began swirling regarding an on-set feud between the two leads, however, Dakota was quick to put those rumors to rest, revealing that she "loves" Jamie!