There’s no doubt that Colin Farrell has had a remarkable career. The actor has come a long way from his humble start on Irish TV and is expected to receive his first Oscar nomination this year for his film The Banshees of Inisherin. However, his 20-some-odd years in Hollywood haven’t been without missteps. During a recent edition of The Hollywood Reporter‘s “Actors Roundtable,” Farrell looked back at one of his biggest career disappointments.
Colin Farrell Warns ‘Expectation Is A Dangerous Thing’
Every awards season, The Hollywood Reporter wrangles some of the most buzzed-about people in the film industry for its “Roundtable” discussions. In its most recent “Actors Roundtable,” an interviewer picked the actors’ brains for their unique perspectives on their professions.
After noting that two of the present actors—Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan—recently returned to acting after taking fairly long hiatuses, the interviewer turned to Colin Farrell.
He asked the actor if there was ever a time that he considered taking a step back from acting, specifically referring to the 2004 box-office disaster Alexander. “Expectation is a dangerous thing,” Farrell begins. “When I say expectations, we all had our tuxedos ready. I’m not even joking…we were all like ‘Right lads, we’re off to the Oscars! This is a sure thing.'”
Farrell Recalls Feeling ‘So Much Shame’
Despite the film’s clear ambitions and Farrell’s expectations, Alexander managed to barely make back its $155 million budget. There certainly wasn’t any awards buzz. In fact, critics questioned why Farrell was cast in the role at all. “I felt so much shame,” Farrell remembers. “I found myself in a place where, with everyone I met, I wanted to say ‘Have you seen Alexander? If you have, I am really sorry.'”
According to the actor, he started experiencing a serious case of imposter syndrome. “After that, I did question. I went ‘I’m just sh*te at it…I’m just a crap actor, I’ve been found out.'” He notes having to reconnect with the curiosity he used to have with his profession before he could move forward.
Thankfully, Farrell managed to find his footing again. His next role was in the Academy Award-nominated film The New World, and he went on to win a Golden Globe for the film In Bruges. Now, as the actor rakes in the accolades for his critically-acclaimed film Banshees of Inisherin, the 2004 historical drama seems like a distant memory.