Jamie Dornan and Fifty Shades of Grey fans have been waiting for over a year for his take on the part of Christian Grey.

And ELLE UK scored the world exclusive shoot and interview, which will run in our February issue. Pre-order it here.

Photo: Jeff Hahn

For now, a few teasers. Firstly Mr Dornan arrived direct from one Mr Eddie Redmayne's stag do (Eddie stars on our January issue collector's cover, get it here). We have never seen anyone so tired and still vertical. Yet even one-step-short-of-comatose he sent the temperature through the roof.

Secondly, he told us all about researching the part of Christian Grey. So how does a nice lad from Holywood, Co. Down, prepare to play THIS sexual sadist (as opposed to the sexual sadist serial killer he plays in The Fall)?

He visits a sex-dungeon of course. "I went there, they offered me a beer, and they did…whatever they were into. I saw a dominant with one of his two submissives," he says.  

There was plenty of kink... and plenty laughter. "I was like: 'Come on guys I know I'm not paying for this but I am expecting a show.' It was an interesting evening. Then going back to my wife and newborn baby afterwards... I had a long shower before touching either of them."

Photo: Jeff Hahn

While Fifty Shades may offer up more than its fair share of sex, he tells us what's really at the heart of the story: “The love story is more important than the BDSM aspect. I mean, we are going to tell a love story, you know, it can’t just be what happens in the Red Room, that’s not a film. There’s so much more going on than that.”

He also speaks to us about the difference between playing Christian Grey and psychopath Paul Spector in The Fall: “They’re both tying women to beds, yes; but for very different reasons. If the motives are so different, then the action has to be different. I’d be really upset if people think that I’m giving the same performance twice.”

And on whether Fifty Shades of Grey is anti-feminist: “I can understand why people say tying a woman up and spanking her is misogynistic. But actually, more men are submissives than women. Very powerful men. It’s a far bigger scene than I imagined: in pretty much any city in the world that you could name, people want to get spanked with a paddle with studs on it.”

We also made an exclusive Word Games film of our cover shoot. He's pretty, deadpan and funny - just how we like them.

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Mr Dornan will also appear on a special digital edition cover. So if you want an additional shot download the issue when it goes on sale on 2nd January.

See the February cover star, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Fifty Shades of Grey is in cinemas February 13th.