Ben Barnes says negative reaction to 2009 film made him ‘regret’ the experience

Exclusive: Actor and musician opened up about the experience as he released his debut album ‘Where the Light Gets In’

Ben Barnes has spoken about how a negative reception to the 2009 adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray, in which he starred as the title character, shifted his perception of making the film.

The British actor and musician, who recently released his debut album, Where the Light Gets In, said he blamed himself at the time for not committing enough to the role.

Appearing on The Independent’s Good Vibrations podcast, Barnes, 43, added that the experience led to him being “less afraid” to throw himself into a performance, whether as Billy Russo/Jigsaw in Marvel’s The Punisher, or as Logan Delos in HBO’s critically adored drama Westworld.

“Criticism can really shift how you remember and experience,” he explained. “[Dorian Gray] was my second film in a row with Colin Firth, so we became like best friends making this thing, and Ollie Park is such a brilliant director – he knew the material, and all the sets and the costumes were stunning.

“We really thought we were making a masterpiece,” he continued. “So I think when people didn’t like it, it made me sort of regret the experience that I never really did when we were actually [making] it. And I haven’t watched the film since, really.”

Barnes, who has also starred in blockbuster franchises such as The Chronicles of Narnia and Netflix’s Shadow & Bone series, said seeing fans enjoy the film when it’s show around Christmas had made him feel more positively about it.

Ben Barnes on a poster for the 2009 film ‘Dorian Gray’

“It was the start of a journey of committing more and losing the cynicism, losing the self-reflectiveness and just being more outward,” he said, “so long-term, it was probably a positive thing.”

In the same interview, Barnes spoke about the themes behind his new album as well as the recording process, for which he collaborated with fellow artists including Sam Farrar of Maroon 5 fame.

“I had brilliant musicians around me who are all solo artists as well, and they gave me advice and I loved that,” he said.

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“[With music] I don’t feel a sense of judgement, and that’s actually helped me become free of judgement in interviews, in performances, all of it. It really did melt away, and quickly, too, it has been incredibly therapeutic.”

Barnes added that he was keen to maintain a balance between his acting career and his music endeavours: “I have plenty of ambition and drive and energy for both,” he said, “and I’m really excited to see what new experiences I can have.”

He performs the final show of his headline tour on 5 March at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, with a contribution from ticket sales going towards fire relief efforts in California.

The full podcast episode of Roisin O’Connor’s Good Vibrations with Ben Barnes is out on Friday 28 February on all major streaming platforms.