Colin Farrell (Lt. Thomas W. Hart), a native of Ireland, has become one of the most respected and acclaimed young actors working today. He is currently shooting the thriller The Farm opposite Al Pacino.
Farrell first came to widespread acclaim and attention in Tigerland (2000) directed by Joel Schumacher. The film follows American soldiers who are taken to the backwoods of Louisiana in 1971 to play war games in preparation for their first tour of duty in Vietnam. Colin garnered a Best Actor award from the Boston Society of Film Critics for his portrayal of Bozz, a roughneck Texan recruit who helps his boot-camp buddies avoid Vietnam combat.
Farrell was most recently seen as Jesse James in American Outlaws (2001). He was also seen in Thaddeus O’Sullivan’s Dublin gangster movie Ordinary, Decent Criminal (2000), co-starring Kevin Spacey. It was Kevin who suggested him for the part after catching Colin performing In a Little World of Our Own at the Donmar Warehouse in London.
Farrell will be seen this summer in Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report (2002)
opposite Tom Cruise. Reteaming with Joel Schumacher, he also stars in the upcoming thriller Phone Booth as a publicist (Farrell) who answers a ringing pay phone and finds there’s an assassin on the other end of the line who will shoot him if he hangs up.
Born and raised in Castleknock in the Republic of Ireland, Colin is the son of former football player Eamonn Farrell and nephew of Tommy Farrell. Both Tommy and Eamonn Farrell played for the Irish Football Club, the Shamrock Rovers, in the 1960s.
Colin’s early teenage ambition was to follow in his father and uncle’s footsteps, but his interest soon turned towards acting and he joined the Gaiety School of Drama in Dublin. Before completing his course, Colin landed a starring role in Dierdre Purcell’s miniseries Falling for A Dancer. A starring role in the BBC series Ballykissangel, in addition to a featured role in Tim Roth’s directorial debut, The War Zone, followed soon after.
