50 shades of red-faced

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Jamie Dornan

Jamie Dornan was left feeling very awkward when he attended a special screening of his movie Fifty Shades Freed.

The Northern Irish actor reprises his role as Christian Grey in the final installment of the movie trilogy, based on the raunchy novel of the same name by E. L. James, with Dakota Johnson again appearing as his love interest Anastasia Steele.

Fifty Shades Freed hits cinemas Feb. 9, but because the film was shot all the way back in early 2016, Jamie requested a refresher screening " but it turned out to be just him and a beefy security guard in the audience.

"So, I went to see it at Universal, at their offices in London. And you go into like a wee (small) theatre, like a cinema," he recalled during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday night. "But they won't let you watch it alone in case you film it or whatever. So, I watched it with a security guard, this really big guy, just the two of us."

However, Jamie required some liquid courage before going to the viewing and ended up having to excuse himself throughout the film - though he tried to time his exits with the racier sex scenes.

"I had gone for a few pints before to get myself in the mood but I drank quite a lot of beer and I just needed the toilet the entire time, so I missed half the movie just peeing," the 35-year-old said. "And by the end, I was literally watching it (hunched over with his arms across his face). I can't bear it! I got up at the end and (the security guard) was like, 'That was great man,' and giving me a high five. I was like, 'You just watched me simulate sex for two hours.' It was very strange."

During the interview, host Jimmy also questioned Jamie about what his relationship with Dakota was like after they'd filmed the three movies together, and he explained that they still get along like best buds.

"This is going to sound bad but it's almost like brother-sister. Because I am married and because she's had quite a lot of relationships in the time that we've known each other," he laughed. "So that's happening in our own lives. We just have this sort of mutual love and respect for each other."