Why Was 2021 The Absolute 'Worst Year' Of Jamie Dornan's Life?

Following a busy year of success and critical acclaim for "Belfast," BBC series "The Tourist," and even his delightfully surprising role in "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar," Jamie Dornan is opening up about the odd, complicated nature of his 2021. 

Taking a deeper look into the life of Jamie Dornan will reveal several significant moments of loss. The most notable in his youth would be the death of his mother, Lorna, from pancreatic cancer when he was 16, per The Irish Times. At the time of this tragedy, the actor's father, Dr. Jim Dornan, offered his son support and insight to carry through to the difficult challenge — and others yet to come, per The Telegraph. "He would say, 'This has happened, how do we move forward and get something good out of this?'"

Dornan went on to model for Calvin Klein, lead the indie folk band Sons of Jim, and break into acting in the mid-aughts. By 2015, he was catapulted to the center of the sexual fantasy craze of "Fifty Shades of Grey." His close relationship with his father, a renowned obstetrician and gynecologist, remained through the years, and he was always happy to offer advice on all of the characters his son would play, "whether it's a serial killer or sexual dominant," as Jamie told BBC, per Irish Mirror. This significant, supportive relationship would become a major factor in Dornan's challenging year. 

To close out 2021, Jamie Dornan spoke with The Telegraph about processing exciting career achievements alongside the grief brought about by the death of his father. "It's a strange thing to end the year with all this positivity," he shared in the interview. "Because on many levels it's been the worst year of my life, and the hardest."

Dornan's father died in March 2021 of COVID-19, and due to lockdown guidelines and work schedules, Dornan had not seen his father for 18 months, per ET. The strangeness of grief during the pandemic has had a heavy effect on so many — including the actor. The doctor's son has lovely things to share about his father, including "his kindness, his willingness to talk to anybody and everybody," which influenced Dornan's character Pa in "Belfast." His performance for this role has gained a best supporting actor nomination at the 2022 Golden Globes, one of six nominations for the heartwarming film.

Dornan is leaving 2021 with promising opportunities, acclaim, and, most importantly, a clear perspective of his father. "Truly, you could search far and wide and it would be very hard to find something negative to say about my dad. He was a beacon of positivity — that is my overriding takeaway."