The Tourist star Jamie Dornan has described 2021 as the 'worst year' of his life following the passing of his father.
The 39-year-old starred as Pa in Kenneth Branagh 's semi-biographical comedy-drama Belfast last year. The film, set amidst 'the Troubles' in Northern Ireland in the 1960s, has generated much acclaim and even Oscars buzz.
And the actor - best known for playing Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades film series - is currently in BBC 's The Tourist, which made its anticipated debut on New Year's Day.
Jamie said that it was "strange" concluding last year with such success, because it was actually the "hardest" year of his life.
He made the admission in an interview with the Telegraph, in which he discussed the passing of his beloved father, Professor Jim Dornan - who sadly died in March 2021.
Jamie said: "It's a strange thing to end the year with all this positivity, with so much praise for Belfast and a lot of good talk about The Tourist – because on many levels it's been the worst year of my life, and the hardest."
The outlet reports that Jamie received the news of his father's passing whilst still in quarantine in Australia ahead of filming The Tourist - which itself was a five-month shoot.
It states that his father was an ostetrician and gynaecologist who had just taken on a professorship abroad, with the outlet reporting that he died with Covid-19.
According to the Telegraph, Jamie was stuck in a hotel, unable to travel after receiving the news - with the actor having previously not seen his father for 18 months prior to death, due to lockdown and his filming schedule.
It further reports that Jamie was "very close" to his father and that there hadn't been a funeral - as of January 1 this year.
Speaking about his dad, the actor said it would be "very hard" to find something negative to say about him. He described his father as a "beacon of positivity."
Jamie - whose mother Lorna Dornan died when he was 16 - said he has tried to adopt his father's positive approach in life.
The new interview comes amid the launch of the Tourist on BBC One, in which Jamie plays a man who wakes up in the Australian outback with no memory of who he is.
Do you enjoy reading about celebrities? Sign up for all the best celeb news from the Mirror here .
The series begins with a dramatic car chase, with the main character seen driven off the road by a truck - which leads to an amnesia-causing accident. He's then left to piece together who is he and why such events have unfolded.
The Tourist continues on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One. The full series is available on the BBC iPlayer.
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@trinitymirror.com or call us direct 0207 29 33033.
