Jamie Dornan left listeners reaching for their tissues following his appearance on Lauren Laverne’s BBC Radio 4 show, Desert Island Discs.
The actor, 41, fought back tears as he discussed his mother’s death, which happened when he was just 16 years-old, during the ’emotional’ interview.
Jamie admitted he suffers from guilt for struggling to remember details about his mother Lorna, who was diagnosed with cancer when he was 14.
The Tourist star, who lost his father Jim during the pandemic, admitted he was thankful to his dad for sharing the news of his illness during a frank chat.
He said: ‘I am sort of thankful it was told to me straight like that. It’s a funny thing. I sometimes feel guilty saying this, but there’s a lot I don’t remember about her. You are not expecting any of that to be taken away.’
Jamie Dornan left listeners reaching for their tissues following his appearance on Lauren Laverne ‘s BBC Radio 4 show, Desert Island Discs
Jamie confessed he felt grateful to his late father for insisting he would be able to lead a fulfilling, positive and happy life’, despite the loss of his mother.
He said: ‘My dad, I remember him saying ‘you can’t let this be the thing that defines us’ and I’m really grateful for those words.’
‘He was trying to say that you can live a fulfilled, positive and happy life still, now that doesn’t lessen the impact of losing mum or anything but I guess it was just dad giving us the okay to see happiness in our future.’
Around the same time, Jamie suffered several other tragic losses as four of his friends were killed in a car crash which left him feeling ‘shock and denial’.
Discussing the time of his life, he said: ‘I drank a lot. I was probably depressed if I’m really honest with myself, and just clueless about what I wanted to do.
‘I remember my dad saying “you’ve just got to do something, I don’t care if you just go and play golf every day because at least it’s productive, at least you’re trying to get better at golf, you’re just doing nothing, and I can’t watch it”,’
Jamie was signed up for a television programme called Model Behaviour, which led to modelling campaigns with Calvin Klein and Dior.
His breakout role came in 2013 when he played serial killer Paul Spector in BBC drama The Fall opposite Gillian Anderson.
After listening to Jamie’s Desert Island Discs interview, many listeners took to X – formerly known as Twitter – so share their thoughts on his appearance
His breakout role came in 2013 when he played serial killer Paul Spector in BBC drama The Fall opposite Gillian Anderson
After listening to Jamie’s Desert Island Discs interview, many listeners took to X – formerly known as Twitter – so share their thoughts on his appearance.
Many urged other fans to ‘grab a hankie’ before listening, with one saying: ‘Jamie Dornan’s [episode] is as lovely and moving as you might expect.
‘And excellent music choices. Worth a listen. Grab a hankie tho.’
Another person said: ‘A fabulous interview with Jamie Dornan. So personal, emotional, emotional [heart emoji].’
Others added: ‘That was so moving today – Jamie Dornan and grief… the Waterboys Whole of the Moon go me [crying emoji].’
‘Jamie Dornan on DID is just perfect.’
‘Listened to Jamie Dornan’s DID this afternoon and found myself in tears as he talked about losing his mum at a young age. I suddenly began to reply the moment, 24 years ago, that mum told me she was very poorly and having treatment. I was 13, she was 31.’
‘One of the best and most human of interviews #DesertIslandDiscs Jamie Dornan – on life in Northern Ireland, grief and success. You’ll need tissues.
‘His obstetrician father, of whom he speaks, did work on leukaemia, pancreatic cancer and child mortality.’
‘Terrific Desert Island Discs with the lovely Jamie Dornan. Have a hankie ready.’