Penguin star Colin Farrell's life from famous ex-partners to Boyzone audition

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Colin Farrell, the beloved TV and film actor of this generation, has been a Hollywood mainstay for two decades. With his two Golden Globes, he has played numerous dramatic and comedic roles.

The actor has received many accolades over the years, with his most recent significant win being a Golden Globe for the tragicomedy The Banshees of Inisherin.

Currently, Colin Farrell is on our TV screens as Oz Cobb in the HBO drama The Penguin. He reprised this role after Matt Reeve's 2022 film The Batman, where his performance was highly praised.

But what more do we know about Colin Farrell's life? From his early life and career to his near-miss with pop group Boyzone, we delve into his journey so far.

Early life and career breakthrough

Colin Farrell attends HBO's "The Penguin" New York Premiere (Image: Getty)

Born and raised in Castleknock, Ireland, he is the son of Shamrock Rovers footballer Eamon Farrell and Rita Farrell. Colin Farrell was inspired to pursue acting after being moved to tears by Henry Thomas' performance in the 1982 film ET.

He once attended the Gaiety School of Acting but left when he landed the role of Danny Byrne in the BBC dramas Ballykissangel and Falling for a Dancer.

His first feature film was The War Zone, which paved the way for his breakthrough in Hollywood with roles in Ordinary Decent Criminal, Tigerland, and Steven Spielberg's Minority Report.

Colin Farrell, known for his roles in Daredevil, Alexander and Miami Vice, has had a diverse acting career. He won a Golden Globe for his role in the 2008 comedy In Bruges and has recently starred in The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Widows and HBO's True Detective.

The 48 year old actor received further praise for his performance in the tragicomedy The Banshees of Inisherin, where he portrayed a character struggling to understand why his best friend (Brendan Gleeson) no longer likes him.

Colin Farrell's battle with drugs and drink addiction

Oz (Colin Farrell) and Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) made a deal to distribute their new drugs (Image: HBO) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

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Farrell has been candid about his past struggles with substance abuse, admitting to using drugs and alcohol for 16 years. After achieving Hollywood fame in the early 2000s, he sought help for his addictions at a rehab clinic that offered mindfulness therapy.

"There was an energy that was created, a character that was created, that no doubt benefitted me," Farrell once told Letterman. "And then there was a stage where it all began to crumble around me."

He has been sober since 2006 and credits his son James for helping him overcome his addictions.

window.topArticlesScript="https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/js/dist/article-top-articles20241008.min.js"Colin Farrell was almost in Boyzone

Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately in Boyzone (Image: Getty Images)

The life of the Irish actor could have taken a completely different turn had he aced an audition for Boyzone in the 1990s. Louis Walsh, the music mogul who managed the chart-topping Irish band from 1993 to 2000, shared this story on Celebrity Big Brother.

Walsh told his housemates: "I know him [Farrell] very well as he auditioned for Boyzone and he told me he wanted to be an actor, I knew him from Dublin. I said 'you can't sing, I can't give you the gig' because I knew him very well. And he said to me 'oh I wanna be an actor' and I said 'You're wasting your f****** time.'".

This isn't the first time we've heard about Farrell's ill-fated audition. In a 2019 appearance on the Late Late Show, Farrell revealed how he was approached by Walsh.

Farrell explained to host Ryan Tubridy: "I was on the dance floor showing a bit a leg back in the day, I was on the dance floor of The Pod nightclub... and I went into the bar next door afterwards and I was told this fella wants to talk to you and it was Louis Walsh."

"He said, 'I'm getting this band together and it's gonna be great, and you'd be wonderful'. I was wearing a tight rubber t-shirt and leather pants, so I was ready to come on and impress."

Farrell then attended open auditions where he was more or less assured of the role. He even took photos with Shane Lynch and Mark Walton, who was one of the original members.

Farrell admits he sang Careless Whisper and "murdered it". He elaborated: "They asked me, 'Could you do that again? '".

After an unsuccessful audition early in his career, Colin Farrell received a call that many aspiring actors dread. "I went home afterwards...and the phone rang and my mother said Louis Walsh was on the phone for me. It was at the bottom of the stairs so I took the phone and he went, 'Look, eh Colin listen, today eh you know, it's not really...it's not going to work, you know."

Colin Farrell's famous exes from Britney to Angelina Jolie

Actors Angelina Jolie and Colin Farrell once dated (Image: Getty Images)

Once he skyrocketed to fame, Farrell became known for high-profile relationships with stars such as Britney Spears, Angelina Jolie, and Demi Moore; while also capturing the hearts of Elizabeth Taylor, Amelia Warner, and Nicole Narain.

Colin Farrell's children and family life

Irish actor Colin Farrell and his son Henry Tadeusz Farrell attend the 95th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California (Image: Getty)

In 2003, he had a son named James Padraig with American model Kim Bordenave. James was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome which is a neurogenetic disorder that "causes delayed development, problems with speech and balance, mental disability, and, sometimes, seizures. Many people with Angelman syndrome smile and laugh often. They tend to be happy and easy to excite."

Inspired by his son, the award winning actor launched the Colin Farrell Foundation which aims to provide support, advocacy, and programs for adult children with intellectual and mental disabilities.

Talking about life with James, he said: "This is the first time I've spoken about it, and obviously the only reason I'm speaking is I can't ask James if he wants to do this.

"I mean, I can. I speak to James as if he's 20 and has perfect fluency with the English language and age-appropriate cognitive ability.

"But I can't discern a particular answer from him as to whether he's comfortable with all this or not, so I have to make a call based on knowing James' spirit and what kind of young man he is and the goodness that he has in his heart."

In 2009, Colin had a second son, Henry Tadeusz, with Polish actress Alicja Bachleda-Curuś. He was Colin's plus one for the 2023 Oscars in Hollywood.

Penguin star Colin Farrell's life from famous ex-partners to Boyzone audition

Penguin star Colin Farrell's life from famous ex-partners to Boyzone audition

Penguin star Colin Farrell's life from famous ex-partners to Boyzone audition

Penguin star Colin Farrell's life from famous ex-partners to Boyzone audition

Penguin star Colin Farrell's life from famous ex-partners to Boyzone audition