Jamie Dornan recently opened up about his personal experience with grief and the “strange” feeling of considering himself an orphan in his late 30s.
In a candid interview with Radio Times Magazine, the 41-year-old actor shared, “My first thought was that I was an orphan.” He added, “Grief is a very everyday part of my life. I’m in the shadow of it.”
Dornan was only 15 when his mother passed away from cancer. The following year, four of his closest friends were also killed in a car accident. He experienced another profound loss in 2021 when his father, renowned gynecologist Jim Dornan, died at age 72 after contracting COVID.
Despite these “awful losses,” Dornan stated that he found a source of inner strength. “I’ve probably experienced more than your average and it’s strengthened me in loads of ways,” he explained. “I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone, but I do think there is something that emboldens you when you experience loss like that.”
The actor also recalled a poignant piece of advice from his father. “My dad said to me when my mum died, ‘You can’t let the death of your mother be the thing that defines you.’” Dornan concluded by saying, “And I’ve tried not to – even though internally, I think it does in lots of different ways.”
