When movie buffs cannot picture specific actors taking on certain roles, they have no problems expressing their honest (and sometimes blunt) opinions. Well, Fifty Shades of Grey actor Jamie Dornan also has no issue sharing his in return. The Irish actor has, after all, received his fair share of backlash for playing Christian Grey. And his friend, Robert Pattinson, can relate to this, as there were plenty of people who were against him playing Bruce Wayne in The Batman. With this, Dornan shared honest feelings about the backlash both him and Pattinson have received.
Before Jamie Dornan signed on for Fifty Shades of Grey, he was actually living with Robert Pattinson and three other actors you may know- Fantastic Beasts’ Eddie Redmayne, Daredevil’s Charlie Cox, and The Amazing Spider-Man’s Andrew Garfield. (Five British roommates trying to make it in Hollywood, that would make an interesting reality TV series!) Dornan still carers a great deal for his chums and spoke to Esquire about what a “disease” prejudgment can be, using Robert Pattinson's Batman casting as an example:
Prejudgment is such a fucking disease. It’s a disease in all our culture. In my line of work, sure. But in general, people prejudge people based on fucking anything really, and it’s very sad. Look at the reaction when Rob got cast as Batman. It was like 90% negative.
Many, of course, remember that Robert Pattinson was once the co-lead in the Twilight franchise and, during that time, he was considered to be one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood. In the years since the film series ended, Pattinson has had a great career, which his former roommate was even envious of. And in the process, the Edward Cullen actor has shown off his talent and proven he’s more than the young adult series, courtesy of indie films like The Lighthouse and Good Time.
Once he was cast to play the new Dark Knight, many were livid, as they couldn't see the former sparkly vampire performer as a grizzled hero. The actor took it all in stride, though, as his response towards The Batman haters was very tempered. And in the end, his performance was not panned, and many critics have even said that Pattinson actually plays “the Darkest Knight yet.” CinemaBlend's own review of Matt Reeves' DC film named Robert Pattinson “a phenomenal standout.”
Jamie Dornan makes fair points when it comes to pre-judgement. It's easy for us to react quickly, and in negative fashion, when a casting or other major announcement is made. All in all, we may be better served to hold off on our reactions before seeing a finished product.
It's easy to see that Jamie Dornan has learned learned plenty from Robert Pattinson in terms of having a successful career. He's followed the indie film path as well through films like Endings, Beginnings. He most recently getting major awards notice for the Academy Award-nominated Belfast and is getting excellent reviews for his TV comeback role in The Tourist. Now, he's also set to star with Gal Godot in the international action thriller Heart of Stone. Backlash may come and go, but the talent of these two stars will surely remain intact through any storms.
You can watch The Batman fly to your HBO Max subscription on April 18, and you can currently rent Belfast on streaming.
