You’ve seen the "handsome serial killer" trope a thousand times. It’s a Hollywood staple. But something about Jamie Dornan in The Fall feels fundamentally different, even a decade later. It’s not just that he’s good-looking; it’s that the show used his looks as a literal weapon against the audience's comfort.
When The Fall first hit BBC Two in 2013, nobody really knew who Jamie Dornan was. He was the "Golden Torso" model who had a bit part in Marie Antoinette. Then, suddenly, he was Paul Spector. He was a bereavement counselor by day and the "Belfast Strangler" by night.
The Casting Risk That Paid Off
Honestly, it’s wild to think he almost didn't get the part. Dornan originally auditioned for a police officer role. Can you imagine? The creator, Allan Cubitt, saw something else entirely. He saw a stillness.
That stillness is what makes Spector so terrifying.
Dornan has talked openly about how he prepared for the role, and some of it is genuinely unsettling. He once admitted to following a woman off the train in London just to see what it felt like to "hunt" someone. He kept his distance, obviously. He felt "dirty" afterward. But that raw, experimental approach to method acting is exactly why the character feels so grounded. He didn't play a caricature of Ted Bundy. He played a guy who packs his daughter’s lunchbox with the same meticulous care he uses to prep a crime scene.
Why Paul Spector Isn't Your Typical Villain
Most crime dramas are a "whodunnit." The Fall is a "why-is-he-doing-it."
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We see Spector’s face in the first few minutes. There is no mystery about his identity. The tension comes from the parallel lives. You’re watching him tuck his kids into bed, and then you’re watching him pose a body. It’s the domesticity that gets you.
- The Duality: He’s a "good" father but a monster to women.
- The Silence: Dornan uses very little dialogue. It’s all in the eyes.
- The Misogyny: The show explicitly labels his crimes as "age-old violence against women," refusing to give him a "tragic" excuse that justifies his actions.
Gillian Anderson’s Stella Gibson is the perfect foil. While Spector is all controlled rage and hidden darkness, Gibson is cold, analytical, and unapologetically feminine. Their cat-and-mouse game isn't just about a chase; it’s a clash of ideologies.
The Career Pivot
Before the red rooms of Fifty Shades of Grey, there was the bleak, grey drizzle of Belfast. For many critics, this remains Dornan’s best work. It’s certainly his most complex. He won an IFTA for Best Actor and snagged a BAFTA nomination, proving he wasn't just a pretty face for billboards.
But playing a psychopath takes a toll.
Dornan has mentioned in interviews that inhabiting Spector "scarred" him slightly. It changed how people saw him. He’s spent the last few years trying to break back into comedy—like in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar—partly because he spent so long in such a dark headspace.
What We Get Wrong About The Series
Some people argue the show is "torture porn." I disagree.
If you watch closely, the camera doesn't linger on the violence as much as it lingers on the aftermath and the psychological ripples. It’s about the victims' lives being stolen. It’s about how a community reacts to a predator in their midst.
The third season is often criticized for being too slow or "dreamlike," but it’s really about the breakdown of Spector’s carefully constructed mask. When the mask slips, there isn't a "cool" villain underneath. There’s just a pathetic, broken man.
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How to Revisit the Performance
If you’re looking to dive back into Jamie Dornan in The Fall, or if you're watching it for the first time, here is how to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the physicality: Notice how Dornan changes his posture when he’s "Spector" versus when he’s "Dad." It’s subtle, but it’s there.
- Pay attention to the background: The show uses Belfast as a character itself—a city already healing from its own trauma, now facing a new kind of terror.
- Contrast it with his later work: Watch an episode of The Tourist or Belfast right after. The range is actually staggering.
Jamie Dornan didn't just play a killer; he created a blueprint for the modern, grounded TV antagonist. It’s a performance that demands you look away, yet makes it impossible to do so.
Next Steps for Fans: Check out the 2018 miniseries Death and Nightingales. It reunites Dornan with The Fall creator Allan Cubitt. It’s another period piece set in Northern Ireland where Dornan plays a similarly ambiguous, charming, and potentially dangerous character. It’s the perfect "spiritual successor" for those who miss the tension of Paul Spector.