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It’s safe to say Channel 4’s sensational comedy Derry Girls has plenty of fans, becoming the most watched show in Northern Ireland since records began in 2002. But one of it’s biggest fans is none other, than Jamie Dornan.
The 50 Shades star joined fans in tearing up during it’s emotional finale, but unlike most fans he was able to text writer Lisa McGee, and tell her about it.
Explaining why the show means so much to him, the Belfast man confessed he identified with it’s characters. Speaking at the Our Time In Space event, Jamie revealed; “I massively identified with Derry Girls, I get emotional talking about the finale. I know Lisa well, that’s about the soppiest text I have ever sent to anybody when I finished the finale.”
“Trying to tackle the nuanced complications of being from this part of the world at that time with such integrity and such humour is almost impossible, I don’t know how she managed to do it, it’s incredible and so poignant.”
Citing the Derry Girls’ episode where the girls take part in a cross community programme as reminiscent of his school trip to the Share Centre in Co Fermanagh.
Highlighting how important he believes integration in Northern Irish schools is, Jamie also said; “We’re in a post-conflict society and your decision making on where to send your kids to school has altered,”
“Methody (his school) shaped me…it was then slightly more Protestant than now, but also had a big international community. The mixing of all those different elements is a helpful thing, to have a broader understanding of what it’s all about.
“Division never felt real, it was never near the surface. It wasn’t a thing, I feel like as time goes on, the influence of the church is weakening.”
While Jamie is a big fan of the show, writer Lisa McGee is a big fan of his and confessed she’d love to have him in a Derry Girls spin-off.
Speaking to Sunday Life, she revealed; “We have lots of people that wanted to do it but we couldn’t make it work, because of schedules.”
“I really, really wanted Jamie Dornan to be in it. Early on we knew he wasn’t going to be available when we pushed the schedule and he’s a fan of the show. And he’s very, very funny. So the next time he’ll be in it.”
