Returning to Dublin, Ireland to take part in the Pendulum Summit, the 'Widows' actor looks back at his wild years and the period when he became obsessed with negative reviews.
- Jan 11, 2019
AceShowbiz - Colin Farrell reflected on his wild years during an onstage interview in Dublin on Wednesday, January 09, admitting he used to be a "druggie" with hardly any friends.
The "In Bruges" actor returned to his native Ireland to take part in the Pendulum Summit, where he said he is in a more positive place than he was back in the early 2000s, when he starred in the 2004 box office flop "Alexander" and entered rehab in 2005 to tackle his substance abuse issues.
He recalled how his "meteoric rise" to Hollywood fame ground to a halt and studios stopped calling him after "Alexander" and he became obsessed with negative reviews and escaped to a ski resort so he would "not be arrested".
When asked if his friends deserted him at this time, he replied, "I was such a p**shead and a druggie I didn't have many friends... I would just go out with who was around at the time. I went to rehab 15 years ago and when I came out they said: 'You are probably going to have to change your friends. You are going to have to change the people you hang out with if you want to stay on the road to sobriety.' I thought: no, I don't. Because my friends are still back in Dublin doing what they always did. They were never part of what became my dark days."
Looking back now, the 42-year-old, who lives in Los Angeles, admitted the "Alexander" flop taught him the lesson that fame doesn't give you happiness, and he is a much better place now in his "very blessed" life which "lives majority in positivity".
The actor, who is father to sons James, 15, and Henry, nine, was also asked about his love life, but he tried to change the subject. When asked again "How's your love life?", he replied, "Oh, I love life... I do love it. I grab it by the horns and knock it out of the arena."
Colin has since achieved success with indie movies such as "The Lobster" and "The Killing of a Sacred Deer", and is back in with Hollywood studios, following his turn in "Widows" and with his upcoming projects including Disney's "Dumbo".
