Colin Farrell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colin Farrell
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Farrell in 2022
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| Born | 31 May 1976 Castleknock, Dublin, Ireland
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1995–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Tommy Farrell (uncle) |
| Awards | Full list |
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Colin James Farrell (born 31 May 1976) is a famous actor from Ireland. He has been a leading star in both big blockbuster movies and smaller independent films since the 2000s. Over his career, he has won many awards, including three Golden Globe Awards, and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 2020, The Irish Times newspaper called him one of Ireland's greatest film actors. In 2023, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Farrell first appeared on TV in the BBC show Ballykissangel in 1998. His first big role in a movie was in Tigerland (2000). He became well-known after starring in Steven Spielberg's science fiction movie Minority Report (2002). He has played many famous characters, such as the villain Bullseye in Daredevil (2003) and the historical leader Alexander the Great in Alexander (2004).
He received great praise for his role in the dark comedy In Bruges (2008), for which he won a Golden Globe Award. He has also starred in a wide variety of other movies, including the comedy Horrible Bosses (2011), the fantasy film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), and the live-action Disney movie Dumbo (2019).
More recently, Farrell played the supervillain Oz Cobb / Penguin in the superhero movie The Batman (2022) and the TV series The Penguin (2024). In 2022, he also starred in the drama The Banshees of Inisherin. For his role in that film, he won another Golden Globe and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
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Early Life
Colin James Farrell was born in Castleknock, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, on 31 May 1976. His father, Eamon Farrell, played football for the Shamrock Rovers FC team and also owned a health food store. Colin also played football for a local team that his dad managed. His uncle, Tommy Farrell, was also a professional football player.
Farrell has an older brother, Eamon, and two sisters, Catherine and Claudine. His sister Claudine now works as his personal assistant. He attended St. Brigid's National School, followed by Castleknock College and Gormanston College.
Farrell was inspired to become an actor after watching the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). He said the performance of actor Henry Thomas moved him to tears. With his brother's support, he went to the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin. He left the school when he was cast in the BBC television series Ballykissangel.
Acting Career
1998–2003: Early Roles and Breakthrough
Farrell started his career with roles in TV shows like Ballykissangel and the movie The War Zone (1999). In 2000, he got his first leading role in the movie Tigerland, directed by Joel Schumacher. His performance as a rebellious soldier was praised by critics.
His next few American movies were not major hits, but his career took off in 2002 and 2003. He starred in successful thrillers like Phone Booth, The Recruit, and S.W.A.T.. In Phone Booth, he plays a man trapped in a phone booth by a sniper, and he is on screen for most of the movie.
During this time, he also had important supporting roles. He played a Justice Department agent chasing Tom Cruise in the science fiction film Minority Report (2002). He also played the villain Bullseye in the superhero movie Daredevil (2003), starring Ben Affleck. For the role of Bullseye, he was encouraged to keep his Irish accent.
2004–2008: Becoming a Movie Star
In 2004, Farrell played the main character in Alexander, a big-budget movie about the life of Alexander the Great. The film was directed by Oliver Stone. While it was not a huge success in the United States, it did well in other parts of the world.
The next year, he starred in The New World, a historical movie about Captain John Smith and the Native American princess Pocahontas. The film was praised by critics for being beautiful and well-made. He then starred with Salma Hayek in Ask the Dust.
In 2006, Farrell co-starred with Jamie Foxx in the action movie Miami Vice. The film was a box office success. In 2008, he starred in the dark comedy In Bruges with Brendan Gleeson. In the movie, they play two hitmen hiding in the Belgian city of Bruges. Farrell's performance was highly praised, and he won his first Golden Globe Award for the role.
2009–2021: An Established Actor
In 2009, Farrell was one of three actors, along with Johnny Depp and Jude Law, who helped finish the movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus after actor Heath Ledger passed away during filming. He also starred in the Irish fantasy film Ondine, directed by Neil Jordan.
In 2011, he played one of the bosses in the hit comedy Horrible Bosses. The next year, he starred in the science fiction remake Total Recall (2012) and the dark comedy Seven Psychopaths (2012). In 2013, he played the father of Mary Poppins author P. L. Travers in the movie Saving Mr. Banks.
Farrell joined the Harry Potter universe in 2016, starring in the spin-off film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He played Percival Graves, a powerful wizard. In 2017, he starred in several films, including The Beguiled and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. In 2019, he worked with director Tim Burton on the live-action Disney film Dumbo.
2022–Present: Recent Successes
In 2022, Farrell took on the role of the famous Batman villain, Oswald "Oz" Cobb / The Penguin, in Matt Reeves's movie The Batman. He wore a lot of makeup and prosthetics to look like the character. His performance was so popular that he starred in his own TV series, The Penguin, in 2024, for which he won another Golden Globe. He is expected to play the character again in future movies.
Also in 2022, Farrell starred in Thirteen Lives, a movie about the real-life rescue of a boys' soccer team from a cave in Thailand. He played one of the British cave divers who helped save the boys.
That same year, he worked again with director Martin McDonagh and actor Brendan Gleeson on the film The Banshees of Inisherin. For his role as a simple Irishman, Farrell won many awards, including a Golden Globe and a Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.
In 2024, it was announced that Farrell would star with Margot Robbie in a new movie called A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.
Charity Work
Farrell is involved in a lot of charity work. In 2007, he was a spokesperson for the Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai, China. He has also supported anti-bullying campaigns for LGBT youth in Ireland.
He is an ambassador for the Homeless World Cup, an organization that uses football to help homeless people improve their lives.
In 2024, he started the Colin Farrell Foundation. The organization is dedicated to his son, James, who has a rare condition called Angelman syndrome. The foundation helps support adults with intellectual disabilities and their families.
Personal Life
Farrell lives in both Dublin, Ireland, and Los Angeles, California.
He has two sons. His first son, James Padraig, was born in 2003. In 2007, Farrell shared that James has Angelman syndrome. This is a rare genetic condition that affects development.
His second son, Henry Tadeusz, was born in 2009. His mother is Polish actress Alicja Bachleda-Curuś, who starred with Farrell in the movie Ondine.
Acting Credits and Awards
See also
In Spanish: Colin Farrell para niños
