Jamie loves us taking the mick out of his ‘ begorrah’ brogue
JAMIE Dornan has dismissed as ‘funny’ the scathing reaction he and his Wild Mountain Thyme co-star Emily Blunt got for their Irish accents in the much-ridiculed film.
The Co. Down heartthrob and Londoner Ms Blunt play starcrossed lovers in the romantic drama set in rural Ireland.
However, their dodgy brogues in the trailer, released in November, prompted mockery from Irish viewers, with Dublin Airport’s official Twitter feed even calling for the ‘accent police’ to intervene.
Speaking on The Graham Norton Show’s New Year’s Eve special, the 50 Shades Of Grey actor said the response was typical of Irish humour. Dornan, 38, said: ‘I thought the reaction was funny. I’m from Ireland and our currency is taking the p**s, so it’s rare to put something out there and not have the p**s taken. I’m all for it.’
The film, written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, also stars Jon Hamm and Christopher Walken and tells a love story set against the idyllic landscapes of rural Ireland.
Dornan and Ms Blunt play lovers Anthony and Rosemary, whose families are caught up in a feud over a hotly contested patch of land that separates their two farms.
Defending the begorrah-type dialogue in the film, Dornan said of the script: ‘John Patrick Shanley has a kookiness to his work. His are not normal linear movies, they are all a bit heightened and a bit odd, but the words are beautiful.’
Ms Blunt, 37, also praised the writing, adding: ‘When we read the script, we thought it was so bewitching and completely unique. It is odd, lyrical and romantic – so we are just excited for people to see it because it is so uplifting, and it certainly sweeps you away to a magical world. It is just a joy.’
Dornan, who has three daughters with wife Amelia Warner, also spoke about life in lockdown as a parent and how he coped.
He said: ‘If you have kids it can make it a lot harder in many respects, but also save you in many ways. They take your mind off the daily trauma while living through a pandemic. They would dress me up and I am all for that – particularly putting on a dress.’
‘Children save you in many ways’