Jamie Dornan may have fought off loads of competition to land one of the most buzzed-about roles this year, but the handsome actor has revealed he has a weakness: walking.
In an appearance on the UK’s “Graham Norton Show” on Friday, the 31-year-old, who will play Christian Grey in “Fifty Shades of Grey,” admitted he’s never been a sexy walker – but has had to learn how to improve his gait to play the billionaire.
“Basically, I have always had a complex with the way I walk. And someone’s always commented on my walk, like, ‘All right… so that’s how you walk, huh?” he said with a laugh, as fellow guest Aaron Paul cracked up.
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And his awkward walk (he describes it as “on my tip-toes, quite high and bouncy”) has been a challenge in his career.
On his first day of shooting UK thriller “The Fall,” Jamie said the director approached him regarding his stride immediately.
“He said, is that a character thing or is that your walk?’” Jamie said. “He started saying things like, “Why don’t you take longer strides?’”
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After practicing a variety of walks with his wife, it was his role as Christian that opened up a whole new world of walking styles to the Ireland native.
Forced into ballroom dance lessons for “Fifty Shades,” the dance teacher gave him a life-changing hint as he struggled with the fox trot.
“The dance teacher said, ‘Just think about it as walking,’ and I was like, ‘Oh dear…’” he laughed. “I’m 31 years old and that’s literally the first thing you learn to do in life is to walk, and I was like, ‘It’s funny, I’m not great at walking.’ And he said, ‘Just like you’d walk – heel to toe, heel to toe.’
“I was like, ‘Heel to toe!?’” Jamie continued as the audience roared with laughter. “I was like, no one had ever told me that! I guess I went toe, to like, more toe. So now I just apply that every day when I’m walking around.”
Watch the clip below to see Jamie demonstrate his walk. (It’s endearing and adorable.)
-- Erin O’Sullivan
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