Dakota Johnson opens up about working with Taylor Swift

Dakota Johnson has opened up about her experience working with longtime friend Taylor Swift on the upcoming music video for Patient Zero.

The actress, who is currently promoting her upcoming film Verity, spoke about her collaboration with the global pop star while attending the movie’s premiere in London on Thursday.

Taylor Swift is preparing to release the music video for Patient Zero as part of her latest music era, and Dakota has revealed what it was like to work alongside her close friend on the project.

Dakota explained that working with friends can make the creative process even more enjoyable, especially when there is already a strong level of trust between them.

“Working with your friends is like the most fun thing on the planet,” the actress said while discussing the collaboration.

She went on to explain that she and Taylor have known each other for a long time and have developed a deep respect for each other’s creative ideas.

According to Dakota, their longtime friendship made it easier for them to work together because they already understood and respected one another’s creative minds.

She also described being able to support Taylor during the project as a particularly enjoyable experience. Dakota said she was happy to work alongside the singer, assist her creatively and follow her direction when needed.

The actress also shared her thoughts about the collaboration during an appearance on the Fangirl Nation podcast, where she spoke enthusiastically about her friendship with Taylor.

Dakota revealed that the pair have been close friends for many years and decided to combine their friendship with their professional lives for the new project.

“Taylor and I have been friends for a really long time and we’re very close, and we decided to work together and it’s great,” she explained.

Dakota admitted that she usually follows the advice of avoiding professional collaborations with close friends. However, she said her experience with Taylor proved to be very different.

The actress explained that the two work extremely well together and enjoyed the process from beginning to end.

She described the experience as “so fun” and said they had an especially enjoyable time working together.

Their collaboration comes as Taylor prepares to expand her latest album with The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, which was released on September 25, 2026.

Patient Zero serves as the opening track on the deluxe edition and is among the new songs included in the expanded release.

Taylor previously opened up about how the additional songs came together. She revealed that around a year after the release of The Life of a Showgirl, she traveled to Sweden to celebrate the album’s success with collaborators Max Martin and Shellback.

The trip was initially intended as an opportunity to reflect on the success of the album and appreciate the moment.

However, with a recording studio available, Taylor and her collaborators returned to what they enjoy doing most when they are feeling inspired: writing music.

The additional creative sessions eventually resulted in new songs for the expanded edition of the album.

With Patient Zero now opening the deluxe release, fans are also looking forward to its accompanying music video and Dakota’s involvement in the project.

For Dakota, the collaboration has offered an opportunity to work creatively with someone she has known and trusted for years, making the experience particularly memorable for the actress.