The rich and famous are immune from certain things, but tragedy is not one of them. The pandemic has dolled out its fair share of loss, and 50 Shades of Grey’s Jamie Dornan is among the many celebrities who have lost a loved one to COVID. The Irish actor has now opened up about losing his father and how it feels knowing he won’t be able to watch his newest film Belfast.
In an interview for The Times, Jamie Dornan gets honest about the feelings he is having toward his father following his death earlier this year. While he reveals that his dad not being able to see Belfast is painful, he also says he can take comfort in the fact that he has had loving experiences with his father that some people have not been blessed enough to have. Here is what the star says, exactly:
For my dad not to be able to see this movie hurts. I take comfort in the fact that he knows I did it. Some people go their whole lives without being told, ‘You’ve made your parents proud.’ My dad would tell me every day.
While it may be an odd sentiment to hold onto about the death of a parent, Jamie Dornan’s desire for his father to have been able to see Belfast before his death makes a lot of sense, actually. The film is named after the capital of Northern Ireland, a city which has some major connections to Dornan’s father, Jim Dornan.
Jim Dornan reportedly spent a great part of his life in Belfast, both going to medical school there and practicing there. Belfast is also where his actor son Jaime Dornan would be born and raised, making the film a significant and beautiful addition to his career.
It certainly sounds like Jamie Dornan and his father had a beautiful and fulfilling relationship, and Belfast was something that Dornan wanted to share with his father. The film is a coming of age story that takes place in Belfast in the ‘60s, which is around the time Jim Dornan himself would be “coming of age”, which would have made for a beautiful reminder of what life may have been like for him at that time.
In fact, in the same interview, Jamie Dornan reveals that Belfast does make him feel more connected to his late father. Here it is in his own words:
It feels very timely and poignant that Belfast is the film I’m talking about now in light of everything that has happened. I feel very connected to my dad through this movie.
Losing a loved one is never easy, but it helps when you can find comfort in some way. For Jamie Dornan, that comfort is Belfast and the connection it brings him to his late father, even if he departed before being able to watch the film and share it with his son himself. While you may not resonate with the film in exactly the same way as Dornan, it certainly is a charming film with powerful performances full of chemistry.
Belfast was released to theaters back in late November. You may still be able to catch it in some theaters, but you can also rent it on demand on Amazon Prime. The film should be available for streaming once its theatrical window is over.
