Jamie Dornan might have become a household name after the Fifty Shades trilogy, but he has been in plenty of other movies and TV shows too.
Split image of Jamie Dornan, one smiling and one looking menacing.
While Jamie Dornan is known mostly for his role in the Fifty Shades trilogy of movies, the Irish actor has appeared in a number of films throughout his career. Getting his start in modelling back in 2001, one of his first acting roles was in the 2006 movie Marie Antoinette.
Despite his obvious talent, not to mention good looks, however, Dornan’s movie and television projects to date haven’t garnered the best critic response. Indeed, according to review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, only four of his projects have received a critic rating over 80%. With that said, his career has been on the rise, and the actor remains one of the most riveting on-screen performers of this generation.
Death And Nightingales (2018) – 60%
Jamie Dornan on a horse with a woman in a historical scene.
This historical drama miniseries was based on the Eugene McCabe novel of the same name. Set in Ireland, Dornan starred alongside Welsh actor Matthew Rhys. They were both supporting characters, with Ann Skelly playing the lead, a young woman named Beth who decides to escape her troubled life and pursue her own destiny.
Rhys played the woman’s father while Dornan played a character named Liam Ward, who helped Beth achieve her plans.
The Siege Of Jadotville (2016) – 64%
Jamie Dornan on the ground with a gun, with a moustache.
Dornan was the lead in this action-war film based on the Declan Powers book, The Siege of Jadotville: The Irish Army’s Forgotten Battle. The book and movie were set in 1961 and covered the role of the Irish Army’s unit during the UN’s peacekeeping mission in the Congo.
Dornan’s character was Commandant Pat Quinlan, who led an infantry company of Irish peacekeepers. Critic reviews were polarizing on the movie, leading to the relatively low score.
Anthropoid (2016) – 66%
Jamie Dornan standing,holding a gun with a sweater.
Another historical movie, this one is set in World War II during the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich by Czech soldiers. The event was known as Operation Anthropoid.
Dornan starred alongside Cilian Murphy, who played a Slovak soldier, Jozef Gabcik, while Dornan played Jan Kubis, a Czech. This was another movie on Dornan’s resume that received a mixed reception.
Trolls World Tour (2020) – 71%
Chaz from Trolls World Tour, sitting with an instrument.
Many fans might not realize that Dornan lent his vocal talents to this hit animated movie. He voiced the character of Chaz, one of the Smooth Jazz Trolls. While Chaz loved soft, calming music, however, the troll also worked as a bounty hunter, hired by Barb to find her targets.
Trolls World Tour featured a star-studded voice cast that also included Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Ozzy Osbourne, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Clarkson, and Sam Rockwell, among many others.
Once Upon A Time (2011-2013) – 78%
Sheriff Graham looking suprised in OUAT
Dornan found mainstream success when he starred in this long-running fantasy adventure drama that looked at the concept of fairy tale characters living in the real world. It flipped timelines from the fantasy world and a fictional town in the “real world.”
Dornan appeared in the first few seasons of Once Upon a Time, both of which were well-received, according to IMDb scores, playing the Huntsman and Sheriff Graham, a character based on one of the same name from Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood.
Synchronic (2019) – 79%
Jamie Dornan and Anthony Mackie in a scene from Synchronic wearing paramedic uniforms.
This sci-fi thriller starred Dornan alongside rising star Anthony Mackie as Dennis and Steve, respectively, two men working together as paramedics who find themselves being called to strange cases where people have perished under weird circumstances. It seems their illness could be linked to a designer drug called Synchronic.
In typical polar opposite fashion, similar to buddy cop movies, Dennis is the straight laced married father in Synchronic while Steve is the notorious ladies’ man who isn’t ready to settle down.
Barb And Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021) – 80%
Edgar on the phone in Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar.
Despite the strange name, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar ranks among Dornan’s top-four rated projects. Marking his shift to comedy, he joined funny women Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo as well as the hilarious Damon Wayans Jr. in this movie about two middle-aged best friends from Nebraska who decide to go to Florida on vacation. But while there, they get caught up in the plans of a vicious villain named Sharon, played in a dual-role by Wiig.
Dornan demonstrates his comedic chops as Edgar Paget, Sharon’s henchman who is sent to the hotel the ladies are staying at to plant a homing beacon to attract mosquitoes but fails miserably. Edgar obliges with the plan because he desperately wants to be in a relationship with Sharon. It’s a silly and fun movie to watch for those who like quirky comedies.
My Dinner With Herve (2018) – 83%
Jamie Dornan with a closed-lip smile, wearing a tan suit.
Appearing on HBO, this TV movie starred Peter Dinklage as the title character, Herve Villechaize and Andy Garcia as his co-star Ricardo Montalban on Fantasy Island, a show that had both scary and cheesy moments. Dornan was Danny, a struggling journalist and recovering alcoholic who interviews the star.
After Villechaize opens up to Danny, telling him stories of his past and struggles, the pair get together more often and foster a sort of friendship. The story is riveting, but more so given that it is based on the experiences of journalist Sacha Gervasi, who wrote the movie. Villechaize did indeed sadly commit suicide mere days after his interview with Gervasi.
The Fall (2016) – 84%
Jamie Dornan holding a camera up to a mirror, looking at himself.
The on-screen chemistry between Dornan and his co-star Gillian Anderson (in one of her best roles, according to IMDb) in this crime drama was electric, but in a different way than expected. He played Paul Spector, a serial killer living a double life as a psychiatrist. She, meanwhile, played the detective investigating the murders.
As she gets closer and closer to pinning him down and proving his guilt, Spector becomes increasingly unhinged, finding it difficult to manage his dark urges and mundane “real” life at the same time while also evading capture and having these two worlds collide. It is indeed one of Dornan’s best performances, showing a darker side to his acting abilities.
A Private War (2018) – 88%
Jamie Dornan with a beard, looking upset in a dark night scene.
As Dornan’s best role to date, it’s another biographical war film, this one about a Sunday Times journalist named Marie Colvin who visits dangerous countries around the world to document the war. She loses her eye in an ambush and is diagnosed with PTSD but continues to work on new stories.
Dornan plays Paul Conroy, a war photographer who travels alongside Marie to dangerous places, documenting the destruction. The story is based on the article “Marie Colvin’s Private War,” which appeared in 2012 in Vanity Fair. The article was written by Marie Brenner, best known for her article on tobacco whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand, which served as the inspiration for the movie The Insider.
