Oscar Profile #637: Colin Farrell

Born May 31, 1976 in Dublin, Ireland to Rita and Eamon Farrell, a professional athlete, Colin Farrell became interested in acting when he saw E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial at the age of six and was brought to tears by ten-year-old Henry Thomas’ performance.

Encouraged by his older brother to study acting, Farrell made his screen debut in an uncredited role in 1995’s Frankie Starlight. His first credited role was in 1997’s Drinking Crude. His first film of note was 1999’s The War Zone, the noted directorial debut of actor Tim Roth.

Farrell’s first starring role was in Joel Schumacher’s 2000 film, Tigerland. He then had leading roles in the less successful American Outlaws and Hart’s War opposite Bruce Willis before being cast in Steven Spielberg’s 2002 film, Minority Report in which he was second billed to Tom Cruise over Samantha Morton, and Max von Sydow.

Farrell then had starring roles in Schumacher’s Phone Booth (2002) and Roger Donaldson’s The Recruit (2003) opposite Al Pacino. Later in 2003, he had a small part in Schumacher’s Veronica Guerin starring Cate Blanchett. He starred in two highly anticipated 2004 films, Michael Mayer’s A Home at the End of the World from a novel by Michael Cunningham (The Hours) and Oliver Stone’s Alexander in which he played Alexander the Great opposite Angelina Jolie as his mother.

In 2005, Farrell starred as Captain John Smith who marries Pocahontas in Terrence Malick’s The New World. In 2006, he starred with Jamie Foxx in Michael Mann’s Miami Vice. In 2008, he received numerous awards recognition for Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges opposite Brendan Gleeson. Later that year, he starred in Gavin O’Connor’s Pride and Glory opposite Edward Norton.

In 2009, Farrell was in support of Heath Ledger in his last film, Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, had the lead in Neil Jordan’s Ondine, and had a supporting role in Scott Cooper’s Crazy Heart for which Jeff Bridges won a Best Actor Oscar.

In 2013, Farrell played Emma Thomson’s father in the flashback scenes from Saving Mr. Banks which tells the story of why Thompson’s P.L. Travers was reluctant to allow Tom Hanks’ Walt Disney to make a film of Mary Poppins. In 2015, he had one of his most iconic roles to date in Yorgos Lanthimos’ dystopian romance, The Lobster. In 2017, he starred with Nicole Kidman and Barry Keoghan in Lanthimos’ horror film, The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

In 2017, Farrell starred opposite Denzel Washington in his Oscar nominated role in Dan Gilroy’s Roman J. Israel, Esq. In 2018, he played in support of Viola Davis in Steve McQueen’s Widows. In 2019, he led the cast of Tim Burton’s live-action remake of Disney’s Dumbo. In 2022, he starred in three highly regarded films, Matt Reeves’ The Batman, Ron Howard’s Thirteen Lives, and Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Colin Farrell is at the height of his career at 46.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

IN BRUGES, directed by Martin McDonagh (2008)

McDonagh, already an Oscar winner for the 2006 short subject, Six Shooter, received his first Oscar nomination for Original Screenplay for which he received numerous awards recognition for his direction. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in their first pairing were both nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor – Comedy, which Farrell won. The two play Irish hitmen who are assigned to a job in Bruges, Belgium at Christmas time when they would rather be home. Ralph Fiennes also received awards recognition for his portrayal of their brutal boss in this very dark comedy.

THE LOBSTER, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (2015)

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Lathimos and Efthimis Filippo, this one-of-a-kind dystopian romance provided Colin Farrell with plenty of awards recognition as well for his portrayal of a man who is obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days or be transformed into a beast and sent into the woods. Rachel Weisz is the woman he is eventually paired with. Olivia Colman is the manager of the hotel where they are staying while awaiting their fates. Léa Seydoux, John C, Reilly and Ben Whishaw have key supporting roles in this most unusual film.

THE BATMAN, directed by Matt Reeves (2022)

Nominated for 3 Oscars for Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling, Visual Effects, and Sound, Robert Pattinson is the latest actor to play the title role in a film based on the comic book. He, Zoe Kravitz as Cat Woman, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, and Paul Dano as the Riddler received the lion’s share of critical kudos. Also in the cast are Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Andy Serkis as Alfred, Peter Sarsgaard as D.A. Colson, Barry Keoghan as the Unseen Arkham Prisoner, and Con O,Neill as Chief Mackenzie Bock. It was the first of three acclaimed performances by Farrell within the year.

THIRTEEN LIVES, directed by Ron Howard (2022)

Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton, and Tom Bateman have the leads in this tense retelling of the 2018 rescue of twelve soccer players and their coach from a flooded cave in northern Thailand. Over 5,000 people were involved in the rescue, including cave divers, doctors, rescuers, Navy SEALS, farmers, and others who put their own lives at risk to rescue the boys and their coach. The farmers even give up their crops so water can flood them, diverting the water from the cave. The rescue itself, uncertain to the very end, is incredibly suspenseful even though we know the outcome of this recent historical event.

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN, directed by Martin McDonagh (2022)

Nominated for 9 Oscars including Best Picture, Director, Actor (Colin Farrell), two Supporting Actors (Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan), Supporting Actress (Kerry Condon), Original Screenplay, Film Editing, and Score, Farrell has already won the lion’s share of this year’s acting prizes in his category as has Condon in hers. Set in an island off the Irish coast in the mid-1920s, Farrell and Gleeson are two old friends who have a falling out when Gleeson decides he no longer wants to be Farrell’s friend. Condon is Farrell’s no-nonsense sister and Keoghan is the town’s sad sack. All four are brilliant in their portrayals.