Meeting a Decade Ago, Working Together for the First Time: Dakota Johnson and Alexander Skarsgård Trade Playful Jabs in Valentino's New Fragrance Campaign

"I've known Dakota for over ten years, but this is actually the first time we've worked together," Alexander Skarsgård said during an online interview while filming season two of Murderbot in Madrid. That single line captures what makes this collaboration so interesting—two actors who've been friends for ages, finally standing in front of the same camera for Valentino's new fragrance campaign, "Vendetta."

"Vendetta" reimagines Valentino's iconic 1991 fragrance of the same name, with visuals helmed by the photography duo Inez & Vinoodh. The campaign images have already dropped, with the film set to release this summer. Filming took place across multiple settings—not just indoors, but also inside a moving car and out in the desert. Story details remain under wraps, but the two leads have already dished on a few behind-the-scenes moments.

"Alexander really has a great sense of humor," Dakota Johnson said of her co-star. "There's no dialogue at all in this fragrance film, but working with him was still such a joy—he's so grounded and easy-going, ready to roll with whatever comes up." She described the short film as "capturing one moment in a scorching, intense relationship." True to her reputation as a natural prankster, Johnson didn't hold back on set. "We were shooting out in the countryside, so there wasn't much to do or explore, but Alexander wore this fitted suit jacket with a thin scarf the entire time, so I started calling him 'Alexander Scarfgård.'"

Skarsgård's connection to "Vendetta" actually goes back thirty-five years. "Whenever there was a school dance when I was a kid, I'd douse myself in this scent," he recalled with a laugh. The newly reformulated "Vendetta Uomo" now features ginger, cinnamon liqueur, and patchouli, giving it a warm, rich character that fits his current taste even better. "Vendetta Donna," meanwhile, centers on tuberose—a note Johnson has always loved—layered with blood orange and sandalwood. "What draws me to this scent is that captivating quality, but with a softness to it," she said.

Despite the campaign's intense visuals, Skarsgård himself keeps his fragrance use pretty minimal. "I wear perfume every day, but just a tiny bit. Rather than having the scent overpower everything, I prefer it to blend with my own skin—I learned my lesson the hard way back in the '90s, drenching myself in 'Vendetta.'"

This marks the pair's first collaboration, and both hope it won't be their last. Skarsgård did have one small request, though: "Please, no more driving scenes next time." He joked that Dakota drives like an F1 racer. "There was one scene where we were speeding down an unpaved road, and what the camera didn't catch was how hard she was pushing it—I was wearing the most elegant Valentino trousers, and I nearly lost my composure."

This article is adapted from Vogue.com, originally written by Margaux Anbouba.