Jamie Dornan, Reinvented: All About His Latest Project, 'Heart Of Stone'

It was just past 9pm on a Sunday in June as we sat down for a chat with Jamie Dornan, who was in Brazil for Tudum 2023, Netflix's global conference. Visibly exhausted from a packed schedule, Dornan thanked us for waiting - his previous interview ran slightly overtime - and we efficiently jumped right into talking about his upcoming Netflix blockbuster.

Starring opposite Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan plays Parker, the leader of a M16 team who is charming, driven and confident—some of these characteristics are very much like the actor himself, as he realises. Directed by Tom Harper (Peaky Blinders, Wild Rose), Heart of Stone takes him to brand new heights (quite literally, as well), filmed almost entirely in Europe and including an international cast featuring Bollywood darling, Alia Bhatt, Matthias Schweighöfer, and Jing Lusi, to name a few.

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Why did you want to be part of Heart of Stone?

Jamie Dornan (JD): It was a huge departure for me from my past works (Fifty Shades of Grey, Belfast), and I've never done anything in this genre before. One of the luxuries of an actor who has a little bit of voice over what I do, which is something I don't take lightly, is to challenge myself in different worlds. I relish in challenge and choice, and this came with a lot of very enticing aspects: a great script, a director whom I have admired for a long time, and Gal Gadot, who speaks for herself. It was the combination of all that that made it a very easy decision.

How did you prepare for the role of Parker, and did you relate to him on any level?

JD: Parker is very driven and confident, and is very open about it and embraces it fully—that is something I'm still working on personally. I realised that I've always had a sleepy sort of drive; I never want to admit that I am driven, but I actually really am. From where I'm from (Ireland), I was raised and taught not to show your confidence. So I've always wanted what Parker had. Parker is also someone who's very powerful and capable, yet also someone who has a huge heart. He's got a mysterious past and goes through a character arc with layers to peel off—very much a three-dimensional character whom the audiences will get to know throughout the film.

What were some of the challenges you faced during the shoot?

JD: Just from the script, you could tell that the ambition and scale of the film was quite ambitious. Six different countries, an international cast with all different accents, huge set pieces and sequences. All those are no mean feat, and that itself was a challenge. All considered while making it relatable and entertaining to the audience. We had to be on the same page, and approach it with the same mindset. Everyday on set was a challenge, but in the best way possible.

Tell us about working with Tom Harper and Gal Gadot.

JD: Tom is brilliant—he's done works like Wild Rose and then something on a large scale like this, which is very intriguing to me. He's like a Duracell bunny: the amount of energy he has is infectious, almost childlike sometimes. When he knows what he wants, in a very excitable way, he will get there and have fun on the way.

With Gal, the entire experience was delightful. On long days or trips where we don't get to see our respective children and families, everyone can get gloomy and honestly, it was tough. But through it all, we were all able to find joy and were very appreciative that we were in this position to be able to tell stories like these.

What was something you learnt on this project that you've never done before?

JD: Close combat fighting was a new skill I picked up. I learnt that it's something I really enjoy, and made me want to do more whilst I'm still physically able and young enough to do.

Heart Of Stone airs on Netflix on 11 August 2023.