Singer Role Model Is on Dakota Johnson’s Radar — Who Exactly Is He?

With so many artists flooding mainstream music, it’s hard to keep track of them all. So if you’re just now learning about singer Role Model, who’s quite literally been putting out music for nearly a decade, because of his connection to actor Dakota Johnson, you’re not alone.

Role Model, for those just getting acquainted, is actually named Tucker Pillsbury, and no, he doesn’t appear to be directly related to the Pillsbury food brand, in case you were wondering. He’s from Maine and is widely known for the viral pop hit “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out,” which blends ’70s pop and indie pop and somewhat mirrors the style of George Duke’s “I Love You More.” Want to know more about the musician? Well, keep on scrolling.

So, Role Model has actually been making music for years, and according to the official Grammy website, he kind of fell into it by accident. But his sound didn’t always lean soft and nostalgic. He originally started out as a rapper under the mononym Tucker.

After two separate accidents in college — one from skiing and another from skateboarding — that left him with two broken wrists. So, Role Model was forced into recovery mode. While that time felt boring, per Grammy, it ended up putting him exactly where he needed to be to find his path as an artist.

While he spent time healing in his college dorm, friends would come by and use the space to record music. Once they wrapped up, they’d leave their gear behind, and that’s when Role Model started experimenting on his own. He got so invested that he even skipped a few classes just to learn Logic, he told Nylon in 2020.

Those injuries, and the recovery process, ultimately pushed him toward his true calling — music. After he debuted as the rapper Tucker, he briefly switched to Dillis. But by 2017, he began shifting into more of a pop sound and officially became Role Model. That same year, he released his debut EP, “Arizona in the Summer,” which gained significant attention and led to him landing a deal with Interscope.

He’s continued releasing music since then, but his track “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” really grabbed tons of attention after it went viral on TikTok.

While most people know Role Model for making music, he’s also started dabbling in acting (which might explain how he met Dakota).

He’s set to star in Lena Dunham’s film Good Sex, alongside Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo, which is expected to be released on Netflix in 2027.

So now you’re probably wondering a little more about Role Model and Dakota, right?

Neither Dakota nor Role Model has confirmed they are dating as of this writing, but TMZ shared photos of the two out together for a cozy dinner with friends in December 2025, where they were seen sitting very close. A source even told the outlet that Dakota was lying on him during the dinner.

For context, Dakota recently came out of an almost eight-year relationship with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, with the pair splitting in June 2025. Meanwhile, Role Model ended his longtime relationship with YouTuber Emma Chamberlain in 2023. So, we’ll have to wait and see where this goes.