Jamie Dornan: Portrait of an Actor

Before he was Christian Grey, he was simply Jamie. Born James Dornan on May 1, 1982 in Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland, Jamie is the son of Professor Jim Dornan a gynolcologist and obstetrician (he considered becoming an actor) and Lorna Dornan. He is the youngest of three children -- his older sisters Jessica and Leisa -- grew up with him in the suburbs of Belfast. He is a first cousin, twice removed of actor Greer Garson. When he was 16, Dornan lost his mother to pancreatic cancer.
Dornan attended and boarded at the Methodist College Belfast (both sets of his grandparents were Methodist lay ministers,) where he was involved in the drama department, as well as played rugby. He decided to drop out of Teesside University to pursue acting in London.

Once in London he began modeling. In 2003 he modeled for Abercrombie and Fitch exclusively before branching out to Hugo Boss, Armani, and Aquascutum. His most successful modeling projects include ads with Calvin Klein and Dior Homme (with Eva Mendes and Kate Moss.) The New York Times ​nicknamed him "The Golden Torso." During this time, Dornan joined the Folk band Sons of Jim; he stayed with the band til their breakup in 2008.
Dornan made his acting debut in 2006's Marie Antoinette, where he appeared as Count Axel Fersen. After a few supporting roles and a starring role in 2008's Beyond the Rave, Dornan appeared in the hit ABC fantasy-drama Once Upon a Time as Sheriff Graham/the Huntsman for nine episodes in 2011.
In 2013, Dornan played pyschopathic grievance counselor Paul Spector, "the Belfast Strangler" alongside Gillian Anderson in The Fall. The series ran for 3 seasons between 2013 and 2017.

Also in 2013, Jamie won the role that has catapulted him into stardom, when he replaced Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey in the film adaption of the hit erotica novel Fifty Shades of Grey, which was released in theaters on February 13th, 2015. The sequels Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed were released in 2017 and 2018. In 2014, he was voted #3 in People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive issue. In 2016, he starred as Dr. Allan Pascal in the film adaption of The 9th Life of Louis Drax.

Dornan is next set to appear in the HBO TV film My Dinner with Hervé alongside Peter Dinklage.
​From 2003 to 2005, he dated English actress Keira Knightley. In 2010, he began dating English actress and singer-songwriter Amelia Warner. They got engaged in 2012 and married in 2013. Together, they have two daughters, named Elva and Dulcie.
Thanks to his acting chops and smouldering good looks, Dornan should have a very long career in Hollywood.