Colin Farrell is a Hollywood star most famous for his roles in thrillers. He has starred in Phone Booth, S.W.A.T. and Minority Report.
He has shared the silver screen with many of the biggest names in cinema including Al Pacino, Tom Cruise, Samuel L Jackson, Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Jamie Foxx, Keira Knightly and many others.
When he was in his 20s, his acting talent was often overlooked by the tabloid newspapers who were more likely to focus on his personal life after he started dating a string of beautiful women including Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears and Demi Moore.
Farrell has been nominated for several prestigious film awards and won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for his performance in the comedy, In Bruges.
ET made him want to become an actor
Farrell was born in Dublin in 1976. His father and uncle were both professional footballers but Farrell was more interested in going into the entertainment industry. He set his heart on becoming an actor after he was moved to tears by Steven Spielberg’s classic, ET.
As a youngster he auditioned to become a member of Irish boyband, Boyzone, but failed to make the final line up. He then attended the Gaiety School of Acting but dropped out when he was offered a role in the UK TV series, Ballykissangel.
In 1999, following his success in the TV drama, Farrell appeared in his first major film, The War Zone, directed by Tim Roth.
Appearing with Tom Cruise
The following year he was given the starring role in Joel Schumacher’s Tigerland. He played Pvt. Roland Bozz, a soldier in Vietnam who didn’t believe in the war. He won the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor and the London Film Critics Circle Award for Newcomer of the Year.
From then on the leading roles kept on coming. In 2001, he played Jesse James in American Outlaws and in 2003 he was on screen for virtually the entire duration of the claustrophobic thriller, Phone Booth.
A year earlier he had appeared opposite Tom Cruise in Minority Report. He was nominated for an Empire Best Actor award for his performance as Danny Witwer, a member of the US Justice Dept.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Since these early successes he has become one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood, making numerous films a year. Some highlights include, Intermission, Miami Vice and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was a fantasy adventure story but the film itself was particularly poignant because the lead actor, Heath Ledger died midway through the filming. Farrell was one of three actors, along with Johnny Depp and Jude Law, who were subsequently cast to play Ledger’s role in dream sequences where the character underwent physical transformations.
Versatile acting range
Farrell isn’t just known for making thrillers. He has starred in dramas such as A Home at the End of the World, Ondine and The Way Back. He has also starred in a number of comedies such as Intermission, In Bruges, Horrible Bosses and Seven Psychopaths.
In 2007, Farrell became a spokesman for the Shanghai Special Olympic Word Games. He is also a supporter of the anti-bullying campaign, Stand Up!
Farrell remains one of Hollywood’s major stars.
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