Why Jamie Dornan Has Mixed Feelings About His Role In Fifty Shades Of Grey

When the erotic romance novel "Fifty Shades of Grey" was released in 2011, it quickly became a bestseller, with two more installations, "Fifty Shades Darker" and "Fifty Shades Freed," following close behind (via The New York Times). Eventually, the trilogy would go on to sell a staggering 165 million copies worldwide. The steamy series far surpassed expectations, at the time breaking multiple records (via BBC). 

With the announcement of the series' three feature film adaptations, there was much speculation as to who would and should play the books' two main characters, Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey (via The Hollywood Gossip). Eventually, Dakota Johnson was cast as Anastasia, and after Charlie Hunnam entered and exited the project, actor Jamie Dornan signed on (via Variety).

"I developed a friendship with [director Sam Taylor-Johnson] ... But that was a somewhat traumatic experience for me. I didn't want to open that wound," Hunnam later shared with Elle of his decision not to watch the trilogy. And while Dornan did go through with filming "Fifty Shades," bringing life to the mega-millionaire and BDSM fetishist Christian Grey, it seems the role wasn't the easiest for him to tackle, either. 

Although "Fifty Shades" went on to be a big box office success, Jamie Dornan admitted to host Jay Rayner on his podcast "Out to Lunch" that he hesitated before accepting the role.

"It's very odd, Jay, to be honest, because you're presented with this incredible opportunity that is going, you know, to have a big impact on your life and change many things, to be honest mostly financially," the Northern Irish star said, noting that a role like that can "open so many doors." He also shared that part of his hesitation was knowing that the film likely wouldn't receive positive reviews. But at the end of the day, it's just a job, and Christian Grey is a far cry from Dornan himself. "I don't think I'll ever play a character who's less like me," he told Rayner.

And despite the box office success of "Fifty Shades," Dornan was never concerned that he'd only ever be seen as his most famous character. "It can't be typecast. There aren't a million scripts lying around about millionaires who are into BDSM. It always felt like it was this sort of one-all situation," Dornan told Variety. "I've never done anything close to since and probably never will again, because it's kind of its own thing. ...it lived in its own world and it was a very big world and a lot of people cared about it. But it's kind of like, 'That was it.'"