Dakota Johnson wades into Hollywood ageism debate by criticising lack of roles available for mother Melanie Griffith

'It's absurd and cut-throat'

Johnson with her mother Melanie Griffith at the 2015 Oscars

Dakota Johnson has branded Hollywood ageism “f*****g brutal” and questioned why more roles aren’t available for her mother Melanie Griffith, 58 and grandmother Tippi Hedren, 85.

Johnson, who rose to prominence playing Anastasia ‘Ana’ Steel in Fifty Shades of Grey, waded into the Hollywood ageism debate which sees many talented actresses’ careers decline as they reach above a certain age.

Johnson, who is the daughter of Working Girl actress Griffith, and granddaughter of The Birds actress Hedren, questioned why they aren’t in more movies in spite of their age to Vogue UK.

“Why isn’t my mother in movies? She’s an extraordinary actress! Why isn’t my grandmother in movies? This industry is f*****g brutal.”

“No matter how tough you are, sometimes there’s the feeling of not being wanted. It’s absurd and cut-throat.”

Johnson became a household name after she starred opposite Jamie Dornan when the bestselling E L James erotic romance novel was adapted into a film.

She then landed a part in Black Mass alongside Jonny Depp and will feature in How To Be Single with Rebel Wilson, which will be released this year.

Despite this career-climbing success, Johnson admitted in the interview that uncertainty is part of an actress' job.

“Whenever I have downtime, I’m unsure that I will ever work again. I don’t know what it is, but it’s a definite thing that happens to me.”

Johnson is not the first woman to raise the issue of unfair ageist barriers for actresses in Hollywood.

The conversation was spearheaded by Maggie Gyllenhall last year when she revealed that at 37 she was considered too old to play the love interest a 55-year-old actor.

Recently, Carrie Fisher, 59 hit back at twitter users over the “constant debate” as to whether she has “aged well” in her comeback as Princess Leia in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.