Nothing can beat the fandom of Fifty Shades of Grey, based on the titular novel trilogy by E.L. James. However, Jamie Dornan, starring as Christian Grey in the trilogy, opens up about a “scary” experience he had after the critical acclaim the movies received.
Owing to the exponential popularity of the movies, the actor was encapsulated in widespread fame and his name was often entangled in fan-created conspiracies about him and his co-star, Dakota Johnson. In conversation with The Independent, he revealed that he “tried to put walls up around (the fans), to really try and not let that in.”
The 27-year-old actor, a father of three daughters that he shares with his wife, Amelia Warner, said to the outlet, “I’m pretty good at just blocking any of the noise associated with whatever fandom is — not letting it affect me, or more importantly my family.”
Following the immediate success of Fifty Shades of Grey, The Tourist actor opened up about the frightening situations that he had to face along with his family. He said, “I had a situation…a stalker-type situation before COVID. That was f**king scary. Someone turned up at my house when my kids were there…. The more I can block that out, the better it is for me and the family.”
Comprehending the stardom that certain projects can accredit to your name, Dornan shares that he rather prefers a balance when it comes to high-profile projects, where one can choose to live a “normal life.”
Later in the interview, the actor said, “There’s never going to be anything like Fifty Shades again. It felt very much like its own thing, particularly because it focused in and around sex. But there are obviously other jobs that bring insane scrutiny, like superhero stuff, or fucking James Bond — any of that stuff. I’ve done pretty well to avoid that sort of shit so far.”
He continued, “I’m not saying I’d never do anything super high-profile again, or a big [intellectual property] with all eyes on it…. I probably will. But I’m also really happy with where I’m at right now. I can live a pretty normal life for the most part. I can sit on the Tube and I’m fine. I’m an ambitious person, and I have a fire under me, but in the last 10 years or so, I’ve realized I don’t want big peaks all the time. That doesn’t interest me. I’m happy to keep ticking over as I am, then one day just disappear and play golf for the rest of my life.”