I can’t believe that we’re already in another cycle of promotion for another Fifty Shades movie. The first go-around was for Fifty Shades of Grey around this time in 2015. That promotional tour was flat-out painful, because much like their chemistry on-screen, Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson act like they sort of hate each other in real life too. To be fair though, I think Dakota was going to be the worst part of Fifty Shades of Grey. She was not – she was actually one of the strongest parts (of a bad movie). Jamie was the one who sucked. I’m hoping that the second film, Fifty Shades Darker, will show him to be a better actor. We’ll see. Anyway, Jamie covers the February issue of GQ Australia – the interview is basically the same as this newish Cosmopolitan about FSD and what he likes in a woman:

What we can expect from FSD: “We pick it up maybe four or five days after the first movie ends. In that time, he’s managed to grow a bit of stubble, which is pretty impressive after four days. He’s more open in Darker. He’s more willing to compromise and to alter himself for the good of the woman he loves, which I think is important. There are so many aspects of him in the first book and the first movie that you haven’t seen changing, and you feel that he’s so set in his ways, so stubborn. But that’s what Ana does to him — he’s willing to make changes and that’s very evident in Fifty Shades Darker. She makes him a better person.”

Whether he would ever have a Red Room of Pain: “I’d never in a million years have a Red Room. I learned from doing the research for the films that it’s just so far from what works for me. And I’ve got kids, so I’d be dealing with some pretty heavy locks. I would save some money by not building a Red Room.”

His advice for Christian Grey: “Loosen up a bit! Like, relax. Get some guy friends. He’s obviously been through some horrific things in his youth that have colored who he is today, but he needs to let his hair down a little bit.”

What he finds attractive in a woman: “Girls who are at ease with themselves, in whatever sort of way that manifests itself. Girls who are ‘down.’ Sorry, I say that word very funny in my accent. And I guess I have my own meaning of it: girls who’ve got their sh-t sorted and are comfortable with who they are. If who they are is a bit unhinged, that’s fine as long as they’re accepting of it! I like laughter — I like trying to make people laugh, and I like when people make me laugh. I think my wife’s very funny, so we have a giggle a lot.”

[From Cosmopolitan]

My interpretation of “down” is different than his. When I say someone is “down,” it means “they’re cool with whatever freaky sh-t is about to go down” or it just means “they’re down to hook up” (which could be the same thing!). He makes “down” sound like someone who pays their bills on time and never forgets a bikini wax. I sort of don’t get this: “If who they are is a bit unhinged, that’s fine as long as they’re accepting of it!” He’s okay with crazy just as long as they know they’re crazy? I think a lot of dudes like crazy, despite what they say to the contrary.

As for the Red Room stuff… he was asked a lot of question two years ago about his kinks and such and he always came away sounding rather judgy and NOT sex-positive. I wonder if someone at the studio was like, “Try to keep it light, we need the kinkos to come out for this.” Which is wrong, because no self-respecting kinko wants to see these milquetoast Twihard fan-fiction movies.

Cover courtesy of GQ Australia, Fame/Flynet and WENN.