Dakota Johnson took on an unexpected role on Friday night: moderator for a Bugonia conversation with Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and director Yorgos Lanthimos.
The event quickly turned into a playful jab session, with Johnson teasingly pitching herself for Lanthimos’ next project.
“I’ve seen Bugonia twice in the past 24 hours,” Johnson said, “but repeatedly told the crowd that she was ‘the wrong person’ to be moderating.” “This is not going to be a good interview. I just want you guys to be aware I’m not good at this. I don’t know why I was asked but here we are,” she said to laughs.
As Johnson navigated questions on her phone, she joked about Lanthimos working with Emma Stone for the fourth time (in The Favourite, Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness, and Bugonia).
“Are you aware that there are other actresses, that are really talented, maybe even very close by?” she joked, as Stone chimed in, “What! No, right?,” looking at Lanthimos. Johnson turned it back on Stone:
“No, go for it, do your pitch, work on your pitch.” Stone laughed, replying, “You’re flirting.”
Johnson praised Stone’s shaved head and gore-filled scenes in the film. “Who on Earth looks so beautiful with a shaved head covered in blood?” she mused, to which Stone joked, “You’re flirting.”
Jesse Plemons discussed his character’s wild hair transformation (wearing extensions as a conspiracy theorist), recalling times he’d show Yorgos Lanthimos new looks and the director would just laugh.
Later, Stone talked about the film’s twist ending, noting it was a “fun challenge” to play a character knowing the audience might rewatch it. Johnson closed the chat humorously: “I regret doing this. I’ll never do it again. Is there anything you guys would like to say before this terrible interview is over?”
Plemons said, “It really hasn’t been that bad,” while Lanthimos teased, “I think you’re the third best moderator that we’ve had.” Johnson replied, “That’s huge. I’ll come on the road.”
