‘I probably consumed a dozen or more flies’: Jamie Dornan on filming The Tourist in Australian Outback

Jamie Dornan has revealed the most difficult aspect of filming The Tourist was the ever-changing weather conditions in the Australian Outback.

he Co Down actor plays the role of The Man, who wakes up in the hospital after an accident with no memory of his past life.

Filmed in multiple locations across the Outback, Dornan admitted that he struggled with the extreme weather conditions.

“We shot in everything from baking hot days to icy cold mornings. We also dealt with consistent sandstorms,” he told Variety Magazine.

“I probably consumed a dozen or more flies.”

The thrilling BBC drama also draws on dark humour, and Dornan said this aspect sets the series apart from others.

He added: “I think the way it plays with tones, often so abruptly swinging from drama to comedy – just when you think you have a handle on what’s going on, you’re proven wrong.”

The Man soon realises there a few skeletons in his closet which he must deal with.

Created and written by Harry and Jack Williams, the series premiered in January on BBC One and clocked up 4.6m viewers.

Dornan said he had to draw on personal experience to portray the character.

“I’ve never had to approach a character before who doesn’t know who he is, so it was almost like a total opposite process for me of not allowing yourself a backstory and accepting every single discovery he has as something new,” he said.

“I often tried to consider myself in my most vulnerable moments, where I’ve felt lost or afraid and draw on those.”

The Fall actor was recently announced as the host of a new Audible sleep aid podcast.

Sleep Sound With Jamie Dornan is a six-part podcast series of 20-minute recordings, designed to help listeners drift off peacefully and features immersive soundscapes to accompany Dornan’s narration.

Ahead of its release in April, Dornan spoke about his favourite sound in the world, which is that of his children laughing together.

The father-of-three, who is married to Amelia Warner, said the occurrence is a “rarity”.

“The collective of all my children laughing at the same time, that’s a rarity,” he said.

“All you want is your kids to get on with each other and not pull each other’s hair out and scream at each other and say hurtful things to each other, which they spend a lot of their time doing.

“So when they are all laughing together, that is the best thing.”