Jamie Dornan 'hid' after reviews of Fifty Shades film

The actor says he does not regret doing the Fifty Shades of Grey films

Jamie Dornan has said he hid in the countryside after reviews for the first Fifty Shades of Grey film came out.

The actor starred as Christian Grey in all three of the film adaptations of erotic novels by author EL James.

The movies were popular with fans and performed well at the box office but were critically panned.

Dornan told Radio 4's Desert Island Discs that he and his wife "shut themselves off from the world for a bit" when they saw the reviews.

He told presenter Lauren Laverne he had received "career altering" award nominations for the BBC drama The Fall, then "ridicule almost" for the Fifty Shades of Grey film.

The film's director, Sam Taylor-Johnson, let Dornan and his family stay at her home in the country where they "hid for a while and then came out the other side".

Jamie Dornan starred alongside Dakota Johnson in the Fifty Shades film trilogy

Dornan, 41, added the film "made so much money, so two and three were greenlit overnight - and it's a strange thing because there's a bit of ridicule here and I'm now contracted to do two more, knowing that there will be much more damnation to come."

He said the Fifty Shades films are still referenced by critics now: "I've just had very glowing reviews for recent work and there wouldn't be many of them that don't mention Fifty Shades in them.

"A lot of reviews are like, 'He's great, but lest we forget when he wasn't great.' Give us a chance! But, no, regret that I did them? No."

Jamie Dornan starred as a serial killer alongside Gillian Anderson in The Fall

Dornan, whose very first acting role was Widow Twankey in a school play, revealed he originally auditioned for a minor role in The Fall before being cast as serial killer Paul Spector.

Gillian Anderson played the police detective trying to catch Spector and bring him to justice.

Dornan said he remembers thinking before the audition: "If I get this, this will change the course of my career.' I was right. It did. It literally changed my career overnight."

The Fall was a huge hit and Dornan was nominated for a Bafta for Best Actor.

Jamie Dornan also spoke emotionally about his mother dying when he was a teenager and the support from his father and two sisters.

"Both my sisters are amazing people, and I definitely felt that love and support.

"My dad, I remember saying 'you know you can't let this be the thing that defines us', and I'm really grateful for those words. It was like (he was) trying to say you can live a fulfilled and positive and happy life still."