Colin Farrell has never hidden his wild early years in Hollywood. But the Irish actor says the real turning point in his life came from his eldest son, James, who he credits with giving him a reason to get, and stay, sober.
“I made James my higher power”
Recalling his first stint in rehab, the 50-year-old admitted he was too angry at the time to buy into the recovery idea of a “higher power.” So he chose his own. Farrell said he made James that higher power, knowing that every child needs their parents, and that James needed a little more than most.
Farrell has previously said he was drunk or high almost constantly between the ages of 14 and 30. He entered rehab in 2006 after filming Miami Vice, about three years after James was born, and has stayed sober since. He calls fatherhood his greatest achievement.
Life with Angelman syndrome
James, now 23, has Angelman syndrome, a rare neurogenetic condition that affects development, speech and balance and can cause seizures. He was first misdiagnosed with cerebral palsy as a toddler before a pediatric neurologist identified the correct condition when he was two and a half. One of the clues was James’ love of laughter, a common trait of the syndrome.
Farrell describes his son as “the boy that’ll never fully grow up,” with a smile that “would light up Manhattan.” The actor has celebrated milestones big and small along the way, including James saying his first word at six and learning to feed himself at 19. He has also spoken honestly about the fear of rushing to hospital with his son during seizures, although James hasn’t had a breakthrough seizure in more than a decade.
A foundation and a new documentary
Farrell and James’ mother, model Kim Bordenave, became his conservators before he turned 18. When James reached 21, they began moving him into long-term care so his future would be secure. Unhappy with the options available, Farrell set up the Colin Farrell Foundation, which supports adults with intellectual disabilities in California.
Fans will soon see the father-son bond up close in the HBO documentary The Slightest Touch, which follows Farrell as he trains for the Dublin marathon. The trailer includes a tender moment of the star cradling James as the pair laugh together.
Farrell is also dad to 17-year-old Henry, his son with actress Alicja Bachleda-Curús.
Source: The Sun, citing Farrell’s interviews with RTÉ and People.
