‘Fifty Shades of Grey’: Who is Jamie Dornan? Meet the former ‘Once Upon a Time’ star

Are we getting closer now to a new lead being cast in the “Fifty Shades of Grey” movie? It certainly seems like it, and in a surprise to no one at this point given the trajectory of casting the part, the latest favorite seems to be a guy with a TV background.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the biggest name being circled right now for the Christian Grey role is Jamie Dornan, an actor best known for his part as Sheriff Graham / The Huntsman on “Once Upon a Time.” He was billed early on as a major part of the cast and was even in promotional photos, so when he was killed off midway through the first season by Regina, it was one of the biggest surprises to date on the series. The benefit to casting Dornan is that he has something substantial to gain from the project, but he also does not have the sort of TV commitments that others may have. While it may be through either other pursuits or busy schedules, you can go ahead and rule out both Matt Bomer and Ian Somerhalder as serious candidates. They are more just names being lobbied about because of their fervent followings.

This new report claims that “True Blood’s” Alexander Skarsgard is still in the mix, but what is perhaps most interesting about this role is that the exit of Charlie Humman from the film was not really anything to do with his “Sons of Anarchy” schedule; rather, it was due to a series of clashes over the script and the insanity that came with the role. Some felt like he was never fully in love with the role in the first place, and while it seems a little ridiculous to transmit intent onto someone else, we do at least think that there is something to be said here for him trying to make sure that he wants to ensure that the project is as good as good can be, when you consider how much of his own career is on the line with it.

With production only a matter of weeks away, be prepared for a quick decision on the casting, and then after that, maybe some of the news will start to die down a little bit. Hunnam at least now has the freedom to explore some other projects, and the folks behind the scenes at the movie can try to move forward and make the project that they are ultimately most interested in doing.

Photo: ABC