Dakota Johnson has been in Hollywood for over twenty years. Given all these years, the actress says she has seen the industry’s good and ugly sides.

Weighing in on the latter case, the star slams financiers, whom she did not name, for being “shady.”

“Financiers are really shady sometimes. It is heartbreaking. As a producer, it can be very heartbreaking. As an actress, it can be heartbreaking,” she says during a session at the Red Sea Film Festival.

Her criticism follows as she made her directorial debut with A Tree is Blue. But all is not gloom and doom in the industry, says Dakota.

“But then both [producing and acting] are so incredibly fulfilling, and I feel very grateful that I’m able to do both,” the actress adds.

However, the Madame Web star admits acting is less challenging than producing, as she explains, “there’s something about acting where I feel I’m in a bubble, and [with] producing you see behind the curtain, and it’s really ugly.” 

Despite difficulties, Dakota shares that she wanted to wade into producing because she wanted to be a larger part of the project.

“Watching my parents work and watching how they would engage with filmmakers and producers and collaborators, I always wanted to be a larger part of the project.”

She continues, “Just wanted to make my own projects and explore parts of myself and my artistry that I think other people weren’t seeing.”

A Tree is Blue is expected to hit cinemas in 2026.