The one thing Jamie Dornan hated about being in the Fifty Shades of Grey movies

Based on the sexy novels by E. L. James, the Fifty Shades of Grey movies debuted in 2015 and become an absolute pop culture phenomenon. This came as no surprise as the books were already a huge financial success, even if critics were less than thrilled with them. The daring films put actors Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson on the map, and fans of the franchise absolutely loved seeing their onscreen chemistry play out.

There’s no doubt the Fifty Shades of Grey books and movies faced their fair share of controversy, but the franchise as a whole is a major fandom people worldwide adore. That said, the stars of the movies were not safe from criticism, and Dornan has touched on dealing with all the hate in interviews. He’s come out and confirmed he has no regrets about taking on the role of Christian Grey, though there is one part about doing the movies that he has an “issue” with.

In a 2021 interview with British GQ, Dornan explained that he felt frustration while making the three Fifty Shades movies because of the way many people treated them like a joke. Because of the nature of the storylines, there were certainly many who didn’t take the franchise seriously. And that’s the one thing Dornan disliked about his experience.

Dornan shared:

"“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. 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! 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.”"

The actor has a great point. While the Fifty Shades movies weren’t hits with the critics, people put a lot of energy, time, and love into making them, including the writers, crew members, actors, and everyone else in between.

In the same interview, Dornan said he felt like he was still “paying penance” for his role in the movies. Despite the negative reactions to Fifty Shades of Grey, it doesn’t look like the franchise has really hurt his career; he’s been consistently working since then. Next up, Dornan will star in a Netflix movie titled Heart of Stone alongside Gal Gadot. Don’t miss it when it premieres on Aug. 4, 2023.

No matter all the negativity Dornan and Johnson may have gotten for starring in Fifty Shades, we know the fans will always have their backs.