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50 Facts About 'Fifty Shades of Grey' That Will Blow Your Mind

Cosmopolitan

October 28, 2017 at 1:00 PM

50 Facts About 'Fifty Shades of Grey' That Will Blow Your Mind

E L James' original pen name was "Snowqueen's Icedragon."

She was "terrified" before the first film came out.

Hardware stores reported abnormally high rope sales...

A women's charity in the U.K. was so disgusted by the book that they requested people donate their copies to be burned.

Actresses auditioning for the part of Anastasia Steele had to read a monologue from the Ingmar Bergman film 'Persona' (1966)...

Reading the book—or the whole series—is linked to a whole load of bad-for-you behaviors.

The Red Room of Pain took the most work to create...

The Red Room was also one of the most "vulnerable scenes" to film in the movie...

The book actually started out as 'Twilight' fan fiction...

...But Stephenie Meyer is apparently not the biggest fan.

J.K. Rowling also said she has no intention of ever reading 'Fifty Shades of Grey.'

Johnson wasn't even sure if she wanted the role of Anastasia at first.

'Fifty Shades of Grey' has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.

Jamie Dornan wore a "penis pouch" while shooting.

Director Sam Taylor-Johnson used her art-world connections to furnish Christian Grey's penthouse...

Jamie Dornan had to learn to walk differently to play Christian Grey.

There were a few injuries during the nine-and-a-half-weeks shoot.

A first edition of 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles,' like the one Christian gives Ana, would cost a lot of money.

Before the film's release, Johnson had to brace herself for the fame.

The book and films inspired some pretty random stuff...

Angelina Jolie was originally offered the gig as director, but turned it down.

Oprah is an impatient 'Fifty Shades' reader.

Dornan had some "good chats" with an expert for his sex scenes.

Some people are trying to make the 'Fifty Shades' Baby Boom a thing.

There’s *actually* a hotel that replaced their nightstand Bible copies with ‘Fifty Shades’ books.

E L James' website includes "soundtracks" of the songs that inspired her sex scenes.

@ChristianTGrey and @AnaRSteele are active on Twitter...

But Johnson herself doesn’t have a Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

Jamie Dornan has a strict Christian Grey fitness routine.

And so did Dakota Johnson for Anastasia.

Johnson had to wear a pubic hair pouch that wrapped around her entire body.

Dornan has analyzed his character before...

E L James had never been to Seattle or Portland...

Harry Styles is a *very* big fan of the trilogy.

E L James is the world’s highest-earning author.

Beyoncé re-recorded (!) “Crazy In Love” for the film...

Lucy Hale auditioned for the role of Anastasia and said it was “uncomfortable.”

Dornan's wife, Amelia Warner, has never seen the first movie.

Dornan lacked "whip skills" before the film and compares it to "fly fishing."

The sex toys didn’t always work.

And sometimes Johnson wouldn’t be able to control her laughter...

Johnson doesn’t let her parents watch any of the films.

Johnson and Dornan's "pregame ritual" for 'Fifty Shades Darker' sex scenes are push-ups.

Johnson refuses to *ever* use a body double for sex scenes.

Some of the sex toys were modified so they wouldn't hurt as much...

Fans criticized Dornan for having a clean shaven face in some of the scenes.

Johnson’s ready to move on once ‘Fifty Shades Freed’ comes out.

50 Facts About 'Fifty Shades of Grey' That Will Blow Your Mind

By now you've probably already made up your mind about the Fifty Shades trilogy, but even if you refuse to watch the third upcoming movie because you *just* weren't a fan, there's still some cool and *crazy* facts behind the books and the films. From Jamie Dornan's whip skills (or lack therof) to Dornan and Johnson's intense pre-filming workout routines, ahead 50 crazy things you had no idea about Fifty Shades.

Universal Pictures

To begin: Jamie Dornan had to learn some whip skills.

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