After the release of Fifty Shades of Grey written by E.L. James in 2011, people around the world flocked the book shops to read the steamy erotic drama that was described as one of the sexiest books ever written, breaking records at the time and sparking a lengthy franchise. The story follows a recent college graduate called Anastasia who begins a strange relationship with Christian Grey, a successful business tycoon.
Their relationship quickly becomes focused on BDSM and masochistic sexual behaviours, with Anastasia becoming sucked into a dark romance that changes her life. It was the fastest selling paperback of all time in the United Kingdom, with people exchanging hushed whispers as they discussed the explicit scenes in the novel, sparking a sexual awakening within wider popular culture as people vicariously lived through the characters.
Much like any globally successful novel, the book was adapted into a film, starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson in 2015. The film was directed by Sam Taylor Johnson, who recently directed the Amy Winehouse biopic and has been met with heavy criticism for both films.
The actors were endlessly teased for their participation in the film, and the poor script gave them very little to latch onto. While Johnson has made teasing remarks about how the entire population has seen her naked, Dornan has been less outspoken about the film’s critical failure. So, how did he respond to the film’s response?
How Jamie Dornan reacted to the reviews of Fifty Shades of Grey
While Christian Grey is famously stoic and unemotional in the film, with many describing him as borderline sociopathic, Dornan is incredibly light-hearted and funny in real life, showing a temperament that couldn’t be more opposite to his character. His character was met with many negative reviews, and critics generally slammed the film even though it led to numerous sequels.
When asked about his response to the reviews, Dornan described how he and his wife “shut themselves off from the world for a bit,” finding the response overwhelming and hard to process. He told one presenter that he had received ‘career-altering’ praise for his role on The Fall, a drama produced by the BBC, only to immediately contrast this with ‘ridicule’ for his role in Fifty Shades of Grey.
He explained how he slightly hid from the world after the film’s release, saying, “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.”
Despite the negative reviews, the film earned over $569 million worldwide, launching a trilogy that ended in 2018. Many actors have been forced to complete franchises they don’t like due to contractual obligations, such as the cast of Twilight and Jacob Elordi with the Kissing Booth series. However, at the end of the day, it is just a job, and the careers of both actors have recovered since this blow and have found success in other movies.
