Cheeky Jamie Dornan brought the house down at a pre Oscars party by pulling out handcuffs and offering to re-enact scenes from 50 Shades Of Grey.
Dornan proved he could make a career as a stand up comic with a series of brilliant gags after a tribute screen reel was not available to show his career success at the 16th Annual U.S.-Ireland Alliance Oscar Wilde Awards.
The 39-year-old actor landed a gong for his lead role in Oscar nominated Belfast - Kenneth Branagh movie about an Irish working-class family during the 1960s.
BAFTA winner Richard Curtis turned to comedy too, expressing his dismay - "f*** him" - in his introduction not expecting the Irish star to be handsome, kind and talented.
Dornan had an audience in stitches with no highlight “f***ing reel”, he'd have to act out scenes.
“I have such a good f***ing reel.
“In the absence of a reel, I am just going to act out my entire career. Or maybe the things you know best," He then removed handcuffs from his suit jacket referencing BDSM character Christian Grey from the Fifty Shades of Grey films.
Women wooped and raised their hands as he joked: “I am going to need a participant from the audience.”
Dornan’s comedy didn’t stop there, joking that Covid positive director Kenneth Branagh “couldn’t be f****d coming here tonight.”
Urging him to come out of isolation, Dornan said: “You want to see the texts I sent him...it was like ‘come on it’s only one night of your life!’” He quipped: “No but he couldn’t be a***d.”
His stand up routine turned to his career which he felt has seen films hated, loved, flop and fly, but his one lesson is: “It has taught me if the money is good just say yes!.......just f***ing enjoy it!”
While Dornan’s comments produced laughter, his own thoughts about his career broke him to tears, reflecting on the support of his family and Branagh.
“I literally wrote this morning with a felt tip on my kid’s notepad that I tore apart. I wrote the words to my family and started crying.
“I am very lucky in so many ways. I live with four of the most remarkable females on the planet. I cannot believe them. I am in awe of them every day. Three little daughters and a family led beautifully by my wife.
Crying he admitted: “I do not know what else to say but you are my greatest achievements.”
He continued: “I come from a very giving and loving family. I have two sisters and two parents who are no longer with us.
Our dad died a year ago. Some people wait an entire lifetime. Love them. My dad told me that every day. I am very thankful to him
“Where I come from iIdentity is skewed. How your identify yourself gets you in a whole heap of trouble.,,maybe be 30 years of trouble.
It is constantly going to be a source of conflict sadly. “I have always been told I am Irish. I have been proud of that since the day I was born.
“I will endeavour to tell stories from that complicated island for as long as I’m allowed to, through hard work and a bit of luck.
"That if you’re lucky enough to be Irish, then you are lucky enough.”
Choking up about Branagh, he giggled: “He is not even here and I am crying.”
He thanked Branagh for the “chance he took on me, the trust, risk, guidance and his inspiration. Helping tell Ken’s story is the greatest honour of my career.”
Dornan ripped Curtis saying “The number 12 comes to mind when I think of Richard. 12 is the number of times I‘ve auditioned to be in Richard’s films. And 12 is also the amount of times I did not get a call back. Thank you so much for your support.”
Love Actually writer Curtis won laughter too: “I actually met Jamie and to my utter horror he turned out to be a genuinely lovely man. He is modest, funny, kind..f*** him.
"And to make matters worse this year is a year fo years for him, He was so blinding in Belfast. in my experience, good looking people normally haven’t got much to recommend them.” But then he checked out Jamie’s work and came to see that he was “another genuinely great Irish actor, subtle dangerous, charming, a chameleon.”
Others honoured at the Oscar Wilde Awards were Don't Look Up director Adam McKay, up-and-coming Irish actor, Dónall Ó Héalai, and Kenneth Branagh.
Branagh, in isolation due to a positive COVID test, spoke of his pride at making Belfast about "this 9-year-old boy who could see some light through the dark cloud that was the onset of the Troubles.”
One light was that of “the super bright light coming from the projection booth” at the local cinema that “threw out all those beams of dreams all the way from Hollywood.
Another was the light in the eyes of those incredible wise warrior women, amazingly embodied by Caitriona Balfe in our film, who would step in front of any obstacles rather than see their family harmed.
And, finally, the light that was the songs, the dances, the music, and the jokes. In short, the humanity, and the humour, that is part of the spirit of the Irish people.”
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