Jamie Dornan Doesn't Like That Some Regard 'Fifty Shades of Grey' as 'Bit of a Joke': We Worked 'Hard'

"Everyone involved worked as hard as they could on those films, including myself," said Jamie Dornan about the cast and crew behind the Fifty Shades franchise

Published on October 29, 2021 11:02 AM

Jamie Dornan British GQ — Photo: Andrew Woffinden

Jamie Dornan won't stand for any Fifty Shades of Grey hate.

Speaking with British GQ for the magazine's December 2021/January 2022 issue, the 39-year-old actor reflected on his lead role opposite Dakota Johnson in the sexy film franchise. Dornan played Christian Grey in the steamy trilogy, entertaining moviegoers in 2015, 2017, and 2018 to box office success.

"Look, put it this way: It's done no harm to my career to be part of a movie franchise that has made more than $1 billion. Every working actor would say the same thing. It's provided — a lot," Dornan said. "There's no shame in saying it's transformed my life and my family's life financially. I am very, very grateful for this and always will be."

"And the fans loved it," the father-of-three continued. "Kevin Maher [the film critic] at The Times didn't love it — what a surprise! But I take issue with the whole thing being just a bit of a joke. Everyone involved worked as hard as they could on those films, including myself."

Dornan also opened up about still feeling pressure to prove himself as a bonafide actor in the shadow of the Fifty Shades role.

"Whether A Private War, Anthropoid or Belfast, or whatever comes next, the line in the press is always, 'It's the best thing he's done since Fifty Shades.' As if I am still needing to prove myself," he shared. "I am still paying penance for that choice to get me back to where I was beforehand."

"Look, I get it," said Dornan, "and to be honest with you, it spurs me on. It lights a fire in me. If that means people saying, 'Oh, actually he's not that bad,' well, so be it."

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Dornan has shown his comedic chops in movies like Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, and many fans know him for his killer TV role on The Fall. Last November, Dornan told Variety that he regrettably let harsh reviews of the first Fifty Shades movie affect him personally.

"I went through a bad stage with Fifty Shades of reading a couple of really bad ones, but then just finding them funny and letting them drive me," he said at the time. "One of them was 'Jamie Dornan has the charisma of oatmeal,' which — some people like oatmeal, so I thought it was kind of harsh. I remember that stuck with me, and I don't entirely disagree with it either."

Also during his conversation with British GQ, Dornan opened up about turning 40 in May.

"It gives you perspective, doesn't it? I am not afraid of that any more. I'm not someone with a five-year plan ... but if my 20s were about beginning this career, modeling, the start of acting, and my 30s were about establishing myself, then I want my 40s to be about building something that will last," he said.