Dakota Johnson admits she had to down shots of whiskey before filming sex scenes with Fifty Shades of Grey co-star Jamie Dornan

DAKOTA Johnson has revealed that she had to "down a shot of whiskey" before doing those VERY intimate sex scenes with Fifty Shades Darker co-star Jamie Dornan.

While chatting about the Fifty Shades of Grey sequel, the pretty brunette confessed that she and Jamie adopted a "pre-game ritual" before getting busy.

The 27-year-old actress, who stars as Anastasia Steele, told Entertainment Tonight she would take a "shot of whiskey (and) mints" before the cameras started rolling, while Jamie would "do push-ups".

Dakota also said that filming the X-rated scenes wasn't exactly easy, but said she was a lot more comfortable because she and Jamie had "become so close."

Jamie, who plays the BDSM-obsessed Christian Grey, agreed, explaining that he and Dakota barely knew each during the first movie:"[Now] it's been three years, [and] Dakota and I are very close.

"We've got a great sort of love and respect for each other.

"We're great friends and I think that makes it easier, you know? So it's definitely more comfortable."

Meanwhile, we revealed last week that the executives at Universal Pictures have banned the cast of Fifty Shades from making sexual and graphic references in their promo interviews.

The film's stars have been forbidden from any kinky talk and forced to push the romantic elements of the movie instead.

Oscar-winner Marcia Gay Harden, who plays the mother of Jamie’s character Christian Grey, let slip the stuffy stipulations after landing herself in trouble for jokingly tweeting about sex toys.

In a new,  unfiltered interview, Marcia said: “We can’t talk too much about nipple clamps.

“I used to send out some naughty little tweets, along the lines of this ‘sweater clasp’ and I was told by Universal that I couldn’t do it any more, but I’ll tell you one anyway.

“I’m a good girl, I fell in line. Because it’s supposed to be more about the ‘romance’.

“Maybe I went too far . . . I don’t know.

“I sent out a picture of a sex toy and I was like, ‘Dear Christian, thank you so much for that lovely bracelet under the Christmas tree. Perhaps it wasn’t meant for me. Oh well, so pretty.’

“And all the fans would write back, ‘No that wasn’t for you Mama Grey, oh no.’ That was a lot of fun but it was shut down.

“It is a love story after all — I don’t think they want us being too overtly sexual in interviews."

The Sun told last week how the sequel to Fifty Shades is far raunchier, with 15 minutes of erotic action including two bondage scenes.

One graphic, X-rated moment involving a sex toy lasts almost three minutes and had members of the audience at last week’s LA premiere laughing and screaming in horror.

Another explicit scene sees Dakota’s character Anastasia Steele strapped to a stainless steel bondage bar with foot restraints for a love-making session in Christian Grey’s infamous Red Room of Pain.

The film’s UK premiere is in London on Thursday before hitting screens here the following day.

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