Jamie Dornan Doesn't Regret His Choice To Star In 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' Franchise

Jamie Dornan shook the hearts of millions of women (and men) worldwide when he starred as the infamous Mr. Christian Grey in the "Fifty Shades of Grey" movie and its two sequels. 

Years after the release of the first movie, "Fifty Shades of Grey," Dornan has made it clear that he doesn't regret the choice to be in the film. Since then, he has been in several successful movies and series and has grown his career a lot.

He recently shared his thoughts on his career path, the lingering ties he has with the Fifty Shades franchise, its influence on his career, and what's next for him in the industry. 

Read on to find out what he said.

During an interview with Esquire magazine, Dornan revealed that he had some mixed feelings about his most iconic acting role as Christian Grey in the "Fifty Shades" franchise. He clarified that he has never been ashamed of the role but wants the freedom to evolve.

Dornan said, "Are there jobs that I did that I wish maybe I hadn't done? Maybe, yeah, but probably not the one people are thinking. There's going to be defining moments, and there's going to be not regretful moments—It's just the tapestry of it all, isn't it?"

The interview with Esquire isn't the first time Dornan has gone philosophical about his time with the franchise, as it is a topic that he is regularly asked about. The franchise earned the title of one of the highest-grossing R-rated franchises in film history, with more than $1 billion earned worldwide. 

During a November 2021 interview with theBritish GQ, Dornan was asked about his thoughts before he accepted the role of Christian Grey and whether he was worried the movie would hurt his reputation. He said he was well aware but also knew it was a massive opportunity for him.

He explained, "There has to be an acceptance with acting, taking jobs, that you don't ultimately have control over some things. But you do know what you are getting into, and I did spend a lot of time weighing up whether to take the Fifty Shades role…."

"The majority of people hated the books. And I'm not saying I don't recognise why those books were so powerful for millions of people, but you aren't going to have books that were horrifically critiqued turned into movies that will be critically acclaimed. You are dealing with the same material. That's the raw material we had."

During the interview with the British GQ, Dornan stated that despite the awards, success, and massive earnings from the movies, film critics responded to the film in a way that negatively highlighted his career as an actor. It made it difficult for Hollywood to take him seriously and consider him a professional actor.

He said, "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." The movie was also a big opportunity for Dakota Johnson, Dornan's leading lady in the franchise.

The "The Tourist" actor later added, "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."

It's been four years since the last Fifty Shades movie premiered in 2018, and Dornan has been quite busy. He featured in "Belfast," and the film was nominated at the Academy Awards for the Best Picture Award. It also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay as a motion picture.

However, the 39-year-old stated that despite his work since, there is this lingering tie between him and the Fifty Shades franchise. He said, "Whether A Private War, Anthropoid or Belfast or whatever comes next, the line in the press is always, 'It's the best thing he has done since Fifty Shades. As if I am still needing to prove myself."

However, he explained that this "need" to prove himself and show the extent of his capabilities pushes him to be better. He said, "I am still paying penance for that choice to get me back to where I was beforehand. Look, I get it, 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."