In a candid conversation on ‘Desert Island Discs,’ Jamie Dornan opened up about a challenging period in his life following the harsh criticism of the 2015 film ‘Fifty Shades of Grey.’ The actor, who gained acclaim for his role as a serial killer in the UK series ‘The Fall,’ faced a stark shift in public reception with the erotic romance film.
Dornan shared that after the film's release, he retreated from the limelight in response to the negative reviews and ridicule from film critics. It was a significant contrast to the positive attention he received for his previous work in ‘The Fall,’ including BAFTA nominations.
During this trying time, Dornan and his family sought solace at the home of ‘Fifty Shades’ director Sam Taylor-Johnson and her husband Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The couple graciously allowed them to stay in their countryside residence, providing a refuge where Dornan could regroup and distance himself from the external pressures.
Reflecting on this period, Dornan admitted, "I think I hid. I was coming off the back of career-altering reviews for 'The Fall' and BAFTA nominations and all the madness 'The Fall' brought… to ridicule. We went down to Sam and Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s place. They weren’t there. They let us have their place in the country and we sort of hid there for a while and shut ourselves off from the world a little bit."
Despite facing a barrage of negative reviews, ‘Fifty Shades’ emerged as a cinematic powerhouse, raking in a staggering $569 million globally. The film's success catapulted it into a trilogy and despite the scathing critiques, Jamie Dornan found himself contractually bound to return for the subsequent installments.
Reflecting on the unexpected turn of events, Dornan shared, "It made so much money so like… films two and three were greenlit overnight. It was a strange thing because there’s a bit of ridicule here and I’m now contracted to do two more, knowing that there will be much more damnation to come."
In a previous episode of the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, Dornan revealed that he had anticipated the critical backlash even before taking on the role of Christian Grey. Initially auditioning for the part, he lost out to Charlie Hunnam, who later withdrew from the project, paving the way for Dornan's return.
When asked during his ‘Desert Island Discs’ interview if he regrets committing to the ‘Fifty Shades’ trilogy, Dornan confidently responded, "I had very glowing reviews for recent work. And there won’t be any that don’t mention ‘Fifty Shades’ in them … A lot of reviews are like: ‘He’s great, but lest we forget when he wasn’t great here.’ Regret that I did them? No!"
– Farheen Ali
