To be honest, I feel a little out of the loop here because I don’t even know who Jamie Dornan is. Actually, wait, I totally do – he plays the creepy murderer guy in that Gillian Anderson BBC1 drama The Fall and he was in Once Upon a Time in the first season. Wasn’t he also in Love, Actually or am I imagining that? Anyway, got it now. I suppose it only then makes sense for him to hop into a role like fucked up Christian Grey in 50 Shades, right? Charlie Hunnam got some common sense and dropped out (due to “scheduling conflicts”, of course) and now they need to replace him, so why not go from some massively muscular meathead to… a skinny brunette who’s a bit weedy and makes a really way too convincing serial killer? This movie is gonna be a hot mess.
Here’s The Hollywood Reporter‘s story (which is really about Charlie Hunnam’s “creative differences” with the team, etc):
Universal chairman Donna Langley, producers Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti, director Sam Taylor-Johnson and author EL James are said to have drafted a list of four men they want to read for the role. Although the list is being kept under NSA-level secrecy, THR.com revealed Oct. 13 that British TV stars Jamie Dornan, 31, and Christian Cooke, 26, are among the targets. Both actors came close to capturing the part the first time around but lost to Hunnam because the Sons of Anarchy star is a bigger name. (True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard also is being considered.)
Dornan could be emerging as a front-runner. Born in Northern Ireland, he’s a former Calvin Klein model, dated Keira Knightley for two years and played Sheriff Graham on the first season of ABC’s Once Upon a Time. According to a source, Dornan was contacted by Langley even before Hunnam officially dropped out Oct. 12. But a Dornan confidant says no overtures had been made at press time to the actor, who stars in British series The Fall, on which he plays a killer terrorizing Belfast. The fact that Dornan’s wife, actress-singer Amelia Warner, is pregnant also could complicate matters.
Let’s all get something straight here. Alexander Skarsgard wouldn’t touch this with a ten foot pole. Also, I even think Jamie Dornan is too good for this fuckery. Apparently the payday for this role is only $125,000, which seems super low in Hollywood money – especially considering how many middle aged, sexually frustrated housewives are going to flock to see it – so whoever’s taking it is getting a raw deal (no pun intended) any way you slice it.
Do you think Jamie Dornan would be a good Christian Grey? If not him, who?
I really like him in The Fall. I’m gonna say he’s too good for 50 Shades.