Plenty of people would probably consider falling into Josh Hartnett's arms a dream scenario. For Dakota Johnson, unfortunately, it came with kidney pain and a trip to the hospital.
The actress revealed that she unexpectedly fainted while filming Verity with Hartnett, turning what was supposed to be an intense scene into a very real medical scare. Fortunately, her co-star was quite literally there to catch her.
During an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Johnson recalled that she was unknowingly battling a kidney infection when her body decided that filming was officially over for the day. The timing could hardly have been more cinematic, even if the reason behind it certainly wasn't.
Dakota Johnson Literally Falls for Josh Hartnett
Johnson explained that she and Hartnett were in the middle of filming a serious scene when she suddenly lost consciousness.
'I fainted into Josh Hartnett's arms,' she recalled.
Hartnett quickly reacted as Johnson collapsed, preventing her from hitting the floor. 'He kind of caught me and laid me down on the ground,' Johnson explained.
Regaining consciousness apparently wasn't enough to convince the actress that she might need more than a quick break. Instead, Johnson's first instinct was to apologise to everyone and get straight back to work.
'And then when I came to, I was like, "Sorry guys, let's go again!"' she recalled.
The production had a rather different plan for someone who went off-script and fell out of the camera frame. Johnson said the response was essentially: 'Uhh... you're going to the hospital.'
The Plot Twist Was a Kidney Infection
The hospital visit ultimately revealed why Johnson had fainted: she was suffering from a kidney infection.
Her determination to immediately resume filming may be impressive, but passing out was a fairly decisive indication that her body had other ideas. Suddenly, Hartnett's unexpected role as human crash mat became less romantic and much more practical.
In the film adaptation of the global bestselling novel, Johnson stars as Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who receives a potentially career-changing opportunity involving bestselling author Verity Crawford. Anne Hathaway plays Verity, while Hartnett portrays her husband, Jeremy Crawford.
The project brings Hoover's dark and twist-heavy novel to the screen, with Johnson serving as both star and producer.
Verity Had Some Real-Life Drama Too
Considering the unsettling material at the centre of Verity, an intense atmosphere on set may have been expected. Having one of its stars actually collapse certainly wasn't part of the script. Johnson can laugh about the experience now, and Hartnett's quick reaction at least gave the frightening moment a softer landing.
While the audience on Late Night with Seth Meyers may have had a quirky mix of reactions to the behind-the-scenes incident, this particular swoon came courtesy of an infection rather than Hartnett's charm.
A kidney infection certainly wasn't the plot twist Dakota Johnson wanted, but if you're going to faint on set, at least Josh Hartnett knows how to catch a falling star.
