Jamie Dornan says he takes issue with Fifty Shades being treated as ‘a joke’

Actor says franchise has ‘transformed my life and my family’s life financially’

Jamie Dornan has opened up about his feelings surrounding the Fifty Shades of Grey film franchise, which continues to be the subject of derision.

The actor starred as the brooding, sadistic billionaire Christian Grey in three Fifty Shades films between 2015 and 2018.

When asked by GQ whether he regrets taking the part, Dornan 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 $1bn. Every working actor would say the same thing. It’s provided – a lot.

“There’s no shame in saying it’s transformed my life and my family’s life financially. I am very, very grateful for this and always will be. And the fans loved it. Kevin Maher [the film critic] at The Times didn’t love it – what a surprise!”

Dornan 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.”

In his one-star review of Fifty Shades Darker, The Times reviewer Maher wrote: “The film is structured, in the grand tradition of filmed pornography, by padding a plethora of set-piece sex scenes with terrible dialogue on either side – “It’s all wrong,” bemoans Anastasia, barely a third of the way into the movie. “All of this is wrong!” (Yup, we nod in agreement.)”

The Independent gave all three films in the franchise one star. In his review of the last film, Fifty Shades Freed, our critic Geoffrey Macnab wrote: “It might provide escapism for undemanding couples looking for Valentine’s Day entertainment or members of hen parties who’ve drunk so much chardonnay that their critical faculties have been dulled.

“As storytelling, though, it is flaccid and inert. Director James Foley has made some decent thrillers in his time but simply can’t find a way to whip up any dramatic interest here whatsoever.”

Last year, Dornan revealed that there was one review of the franchise he agreed with.

“I went through a bad stage with Fifty Shades of reading a couple of really bad [reviews], but then just finding them funny and letting them drive me,” he told Variety.

“One of them was ‘Jamie Dornan has the charisma of oatmeal’, which – some people like oatmeal, so I thought it was kind of harsh. I remember that stuck with me, and I don’t entirely disagree with it either.”