Colin Farrell was born in 1976 in a Dublin suburb called Castleknock. His father Eamon and uncle were professional footballers. The family thought that Farrell would follow in their footsteps, but the boy became interested in creativity. He performed with a team of country dancers and even tried to audition for the Boyzone music group, which later became very popular. Unfortunately, he was not accepted.
After Colin enrolled in a local college, he began to take an interest in acting. His choice was heavily influenced by Steven Spielberg’s Alien and starring Henry Thomas. Wishing to develop in this direction, Farrell entered a specialized school. He made his screen debut in 1996 with a role in the TV series “Ballykissangel” about a young priest who became part of the Irish rural community. At the same time, Colin starred in the drama The Disappearance of Finbar, but his appearance was so insignificant that the actor was not even credited.
In the 1990s, the young student traveled and played a lot, so his career stalled. Colin led a riotous lifestyle, drank, and used drugs. Once in Sydney, he even came under police surveillance, becoming a suspect. Farrell was nearly charged with attempted murder. He was saved by a friend who kept a diary, where he wrote that they were in a different place. Surprisingly, this excuse helped to avoid arrest.
Colin Farrell’s first films
In 1997, the actor starred in the film Crude Oil and the TV series White Dance. Soon he was invited to shoot by Tim Roth, who was going to debut as a director with the film “War Zone”. She has received many awards in Britain. Although Colin did not receive any of them, he was still noticed in the world of cinema. The result was shooting in the crime comedy with Kevin Spacey’s “Ordinary Criminal”.
In late 1999, Farrell was cast as Roland Bozz in Joel Schumacher’s war drama Tigerland. Even before he read the script, the actor used his charm to audition. With the help of his sister, Colin recorded and sent Joel a video where he replaced his Dublin accent with a slight Texan accent. Sometime later, the director of the movie “Batman Forever” called Farrell and offered to act. Although Tiger Country earned a paltry $ 140,000 at the US box office, Colin got his fair share of fame. This was his first big role and, of course, not the last. Farrell continued on with American Heroes, where he played criminal Jesse James alongside Scott Caan as Cole Younger, son of legendary actor James Caan. However, the picture flopped, both in terms of fees and critical reviews. But Colin did not despair. He immediately returned to the war drama, starring with Bruce Willis in Hart’s War.
The breakthrough came with Steven Spielberg’s fantasy thriller Minority Report. It was a hit, and Farrell was finally named the new Hollywood star.
Fickle success
In 2002, the actor again worked with Joel Schumacher, this time starring in the thriller “Telephone Booth”. He played the role of a victim chased by an invisible killer. The captivating and intriguing picture is still considered one of the best, made in tandem between the cult director and the young Colin. She became the impetus for the subsequent numerous roles of the Irish handsome. The actor starred in the crime thriller The Recruit, playing a young CIA employee. Its leader was played by Al Pacino, who later called Farrell the best actor of his generation. In the same year, he appeared in Daredevil, based on Marvel Comics. The film became a success, as did SWAT: City of Angels SWAT, where the actor co-starred with Samuel L. Jackson. Farrell also landed a role in the Irish black comedy Break and the thriller The Hunt for Veronica, again directed by Joel Schumacher.
Everything was fine until “Alexander” was released on the screens about the life and death of the commander Alexander the Great. Colin donned a blonde wig and retained his Irish accent, but his role, like the film, was heavily criticized. Trying to get away from shame, the actor starred in the historical drama “New World”, but she also received mixed reviews. After that, Farrell became a detective in the movie Miami Police. Department of Morals “, which should return him to the top. But even then it was clear that the rapid rise in popularity and wealth had a detrimental effect on the 30-year-old actor. He ended up in rehab for drugs.
