The truth is there’s about fifty shades of gray between Jamie Dornan and Christian Grey.
While the actor has done a great job with bringing readers’ favorite S&M entrepreneur to life on the big screen, there’s no denying that the man himself is a far cry from the character he portrays in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy.
Sorry, we know that’s seriously going to dampen your fantasies, but we state facts, people.
Many of you may choose to refuse this, and continue to believe that Jamie Dornan and Christian Grey are in fact, one, and we won’t judge you for that. But we’re still going to list all of these differences to support our claim. Proceed with an open mind and acceptance.
He’s Not Actually Clingy & Possessive: You know how Christian is oddly obsessive of Ana (Dakota Johnson), which is creepy unless you actually like the guy, then it’s cute. Regardless, Dornan doesn’t seem to be that way. At least not when it comes to his alter-ego. When asked if Ian Somerhalder was going to replace him in the adaptation, Dornan responded, “That would be really hard for them to do, considering we shot both of the movies,” the actor added. “That’s an expensive mistake, I’ll put it that way. But good luck to him—he’ll be great!” And he’s supportive!
He’s Actually a Family Guy: Christian introduces himself as an infamous bachelor who shies away from any sort of commitment, and while he may have a relationship with his parents, he’s not the family man Jamie is. Dornan and his wife Amelia Warner welcomed their second child together last year. “I love fatherhood,” Dornan told British Vogue in February 2015. “These last couple of years have been quite something. But we’re enjoying it.”
There’s a Major Personality Clash: During an interview, Dornan couldn’t help but point out the obvious. “I consider myself quite light-hearted, pretty easy-going, and I keep playing sick psychopath bastards!” he told the U.K.’s Guardian. “It kinda worries me sometimes how comfortable I am in that zone.” But, he actually finds it all somewhat comical. “There are times when I’ll be like: ‘Huh, someone made a Fifty Shades movie, that’s funny,'” he said. “And then I’ll be like: ‘Wait, I’m the guy?!'”
He Doesn’t Actually Like S&M: Christian Grey may be the MVP in the Red Room of Pain, but Dornan…not so much. “It was like nothing I’d experienced before,” Dornan admitted to GQ when asked about visiting an S&M dungeon in preparation for the role. “I’d never seen any form of S&M before this, I had no interest in that world.” He explained, “It doesn’t float my boat,” before adding, “I’ve always been open-minded and liberal—I’d never judge anyone’s sexual preference. Whatever gets people off is entirely up to them and there’s a million different ways to please yourself, sexually.”