Jamie Dornan left listeners reaching for their tissues after 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, during the ’emotional’ interview.
Jamie admitted he suffers from guilt as he struggles to remember details about his mother Lorna, who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 14.
The Tourist star, who lost his father Jim during the pandemic, admitted he was grateful to his father for sharing the news of his illness during a candid chat.
He said: ‘I’m kind of grateful that it was told to me that way. It’s a funny thing. I sometimes feel guilty saying this, but there is a lot I don’t remember about her. You don’t expect all of that to be taken away.”
Jamie Dornan left listeners reaching for their tissues after his appearance on Lauren Laverne’s BBC Radio 4 show, Desert Island Discs
Jamie pictured with his late mother and their family
Jamie admitted he suffers from guilt as he struggles to remember details about his mother Lorna (pictured), who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 14
Jamie confessed that he was grateful to his late father for insisting that he could live a fulfilling, positive and happy life despite the loss of his mother.
He said, “My father, I remember him saying, ‘You can’t let this be the thing that defines us,’ and I’m very grateful for those words.”
“He was trying to say that you can still live a fulfilled, positive, happy life, but that doesn’t lessen the impact of losing your mother or whatever, but I think it was just father giving us the right to to see happiness in our future. ‘
Around the same time, Jamie suffered several other tragic losses when four of his friends were killed in a car accident, leaving him feeling “shock and denial.”
Discussing the time of his life, he said, “I drank a lot. I was probably depressed if I was completely honest with myself, and just had no idea what I wanted to do.
“I remember my dad saying, ‘You just gotta do something, I don’t care if you just go play golf every day because at least it’s productive, at least you’re trying to get better at golf, you’ I just don’t do anything and I can’t look at it.”
Jamie was signed on for a television show called Model Behavior, which led to modeling 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 – to 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 – to share their thoughts on his appearance.
Many urged other fans to ‘grab a tissue’ before listening, with one saying: ‘Jamie Dornan’s (episode) is as beautiful and moving as you would expect.
‘And excellent music choices. Worth listening. Grab a tissue.’
Another said: ‘A fantastic interview with Jamie Dornan. So personal, emotional, emotional (heart emoji).”
Others added: ‘That was so moving today – Jamie Dornan and sadness… the Waterboys Whole of the Moon go me (crying emoji).”
‘Jamie Dornan on DID is just perfect.’
‘I listened to Jamie Dornan’s DID this afternoon and was in tears as he talked about losing his mother at a young age. I suddenly began to respond to the moment, 24 years ago, when my mother told me that she was very ill and was being treated. I was 13, she was 31.’
‘One of the best and most human interviews #DesertIslandDiscs Jamie Dornan – about life in Northern Ireland, grief and success. You need tissues.
‘His obstetrician father, about whom he speaks, conducted research into leukemia, pancreatic cancer and infant mortality.’
‘Great Desert Island discs with the lovely Jamie Dornan. Have a tissue ready.’
