Dakota Johnson recently reflected on her experience working with Justin Timberlake in the 2010 film ‘The Social Network’. Speaking with ‘People’, the actress shared her candid thoughts about filming romantic scenes with Timberlake, who played the role of Napster co-founder Sean Parker in the movie.
At the time of filming, Dakota Johnson was just 19 years old, and she described the experience as both surreal and memorable.
“Are you kidding? I was just like 19, straddling Justin Timberlake and whipping him in the face with my hair,” she recalled with a laugh. Despite having preconceived ideas about Timberlake before working with him, Johnson was pleasantly surprised by his demeanor. “I had preconceived notions, but he was lovely, kind, and really welcoming to someone who was essentially a stranger,” she said.
Directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, ‘The Social Network’ focused on the tumultuous creation of Facebook and the legal battles that followed. Johnson’s character, a Stanford student, had a brief but significant role in the film. She spoke about how the repeated takes, a hallmark of Fincher’s directing style, left a lasting impression. “We did the scene so many times that it’s still with me. I know all the lines. It’s like I’m still there,” she shared, hinting that the intensity of the process had a lingering effect. “Maybe I was traumatized,” she joked.
‘The Social Network’, which is based on Ben Mezrich’s book ‘The Accidental Billionaires’, was a critical and commercial success. It told the story of Mark Zuckerberg’s creation of Facebook, with Jesse Eisenberg portraying Zuckerberg and Andrew Garfield as co-founder Eduardo Saverin. Timberlake’s role as Sean Parker was pivotal, and the ensemble cast, which also included Armie Hammer and Max Minghella, brought the dramatic tale of Silicon Valley’s rise to life.
Though more than a decade has passed since the film’s release, ‘The Social Network’ continues to resonate with audiences.