The Fifty Shades phenomenon, encompassing both the highly successful books and subsequent movie adaptations, elicited a notably polarized response. While both the books and films garnered criticism from the critics, they undeniably amassed a dedicated fan base. Jamie Dornan was fully aware of the terrain he was entering when he took on the central role of Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades movies. In fact, he actively sought out some of the most scathing critiques.
A mere five weeks prior to the commencement of production, Jamie Dornan stepped into the role of the wealthy magnate Christian Grey, replacing Charlie Hunnam who had withdrawn. During a conversation on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, Dornan shared insights into this transition.
Jamie Dornan Accepted The Role Without Any Hesitation
Jamie Dornan explained that the decision to accept the role wasn’t a quick one; it required thoughtful consideration. He consulted with several of his actor friends for advice before making up his mind.
“It wasn’t an instant yes, by any means, it needed to be thought through. I sought counsel from a lot of actor friends.”
Among these confidants might have been his former roommate Eddie Redmayne, along with Andrew Garfield, Robert Pattinson, and Charlie Cox – all of whom have shared a friendship with Dornan since their early days as aspiring actors. Dornan emphasized the value of having such close companions who could provide expert opinions and perspectives on his career choices.
“It’s nice to have people like that close in your life, who will have an opinion and one that I think is expert, almost,” says Dornan. But Dornan wasn’t the first choice for the role. And, surprisingly, Jamie Dornan was relieved on losing it.
Jamie Dornan Was Aware Of The Public Scrutiny That Would Follow
According to Dornan, when he was originally passed over for the role in favor of Charlie Hunnam, he experienced a sense of relief. He foresaw the challenges that Hunnam would face in dealing with media scrutiny. Dornan predicted that despite the inevitable financial success and adoration from fans, the critics would hold a negative view, mirroring the pattern established by the reception of the books.
Dornan said he knew “that poor guy is gonna get wrecked [by the press] here. I knew that the reality was that it would make a ton of money and fans were gonna love it, and the critics were gonna despise it – because that’s exactly what happened with the books.” He added, “As much as you think you don’t care, you kind of do. I went through a phase of really actively seeking out [the bad reviews of Fifty Shades]. I found something where someone had put all the worst things said about me from the first Fifty Shades movie into a neat little Instagram post. What am I doing? I would look at it all the time! You know, I agreed with a lot of it, that’s the sad thing.”
Following his role in the initial Fifty Shades film, Dornan garnered praise for his performances in two thriller series, namely The Fall and The Tourist. In addition to these, he also earned recognition for his work in the Oscar-winning film Belfast.
Source: The Digital Flix
