Jamie Dornan, famously known for his roles in Fifty Shades of Grey and Once Upon a Time, initially rose to stardom following his appearance in the romance movie Marie Antoinette, alongside Kirsten Dunst. Joining forces in Sofia Coppola’s period piece, Dornan recalled his filming experience during Variety’s Actors on Actors with Dunst.
Reminiscing his first feature-length role in the 2006 film Marie Antoinette, Jamie Dornan noted being initially intimidated by the whole process. Recalling the grave realization that hit him while filming the movie, Dornan told Kirsten Dunst how a thought crossed his mind that Marie Antoinette might be his first and last movie.
Jamie Dornan’s First Feature-Length Role in Marie Antoinette
With acclaimed movies like Belfast, and pop culture films like Fifty Shades of Grey under his belt, Jamie Dornan has now become one of the renowned faces in Hollywood. Over the years, Dornan has enjoyed a lucrative career and has acquired a position in the entertainment industry. But to look back, it all started following his appearance in Sofia Coppola’s period piece Marie Antoinette.
The 2006 movie offered Jamie Dornan his first feature-length role as Count Axel Fersen. Narrating the tale of Queen Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst), in the years leading to the French Revolution, the movie became a brilliant and spectacular portrayal of a nostalgic era filled with intimacy and warmth.
Therefore, after more than a decade, both Jamie Dornan and Kirsten Dunst looked back at their roles in the 2006 epic. Sitting for an interview on Variety’s Actors on Actors segment, Dornan recalled his work experience on the set of Marie Antoinette. Since it was his first movie, the actor claimed to be intimidated by his role.
Dornan was Intimidated by His First Movie With Kirsten Dunst
Reminiscing his role in Sofia Coppola’s period piece, Jamie Dornan noted how scared he was to star in the movie alongside the likes of the Spider-Man actress Kirsten Dunst. Admitting to overthink his role, Dornan recalled how he even felt that one mistake might turn this film from being his first movie to the last opportunity.
“I remember thinking it might be my last. I remember thinking I really don’t know what I’m doing here.”
Although he had that realization decades back, Jamie Dornan seemed to remember the exact feeling, during his 2022 interview with Variety. Explaining how he was intimidated by the prospect of working with acclaimed director Sofia Coppola, and fearing that he wouldn’t be able to deliver a convincing performance, Dornan shared his thoughts.
To reassure Jamie Dornan, even Kirsten Dunst revealed how intimidated she was to perform intimate scenes with him. Claiming to feel uncomfortable by the raunchy sequences, Dunst admitted having similar feelings. However, eventually, despite all odds, Dornan felt that the movie was a “pretty good first gig”.
“All our stuff was like making out, and I’m not comfortable with that. It’s never comfortable, ever.” Dunst shared.
Despite his initial doubts, fear, and intimidation, Marie Antoinette marked a successful debut for Jamie Dornan. The movie went on to become a massive hit and even earned several coveted accolades.
Marie Antoinette is available on Max.
