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Colin Farrell said he has two loves of his life — his sons, James, 21, and Henry, 14. “James and Henry, the loves of my life. I love you so much,” the Irish actor said after winning best actor in a musical/comedy motion picture for “The Banshees of Inisherin” at the .
The actor’s youngest son, Henry, accompanied his famous father to the New York premiere of Farrell’s upcoming drama “The Penguin.” The father-son duo color coordinated in black suits, with the actor wearing a sophisticated pin-striped look, while Henry opted for a sleek solid black outfit. The last time Henry accompanied Farrell to a red carpet event was the 2023 Oscars in Hollywood.
The pair wore matching suits. Farrell has previously said that his sons don't always watch his movies. However, he said they do weigh in on the roles they want him to play — and they’re done with seeing their devoted dad as an antagonist.
“They’re sick of me being a bad guy,” he said .” “Which apparently, reading between the lines, leads me to believe that they think I’m OK.” But no matter which part Farrell plays, whether it’s as The Penguin in “The Batman” or Percival Graves in “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” the role closest to his heart is being a father.
“Fatherhood for me is the ultimate success,” Farrell . Here’s everything you need to know about his two kids. Farrell and model Kim Bordenave welcomed the actor’s first child, James, on Sept.
12, 2003. In 2007, Farrell shared that his son, now 21, was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome, per . This is characterized by developmental delays, lack of speech, seizures and impaired balance and is often misdiagnosed as autism or cerebral palsy.
“The struggles of a child with special needs can be so brutal that they can tear at the very fabric of your heart, but the love shared and the pure strength and heroism observed is the needle and thread that mends all tears,” he said in Since James’ diagnosis, the actor has become an advocate for the disorder, which currently has no cure. At a 2017 annual summit and gala for Angelman syndrome research, who recently received this diagnosis for their child. “I would humbly say to parents of a child with a recent diagnosis of any disorder that while they may well be experiencing the death of one dream, that dream of having a healthy child, there are a thousand dreams and milestones that are yet to reveal themselves,” he said.
In 2021, Farrell and Bordenave of a limited conservatorship as their son approached 18 years old. In August 2024, Farrell to promote his newly-launched non-profit, the , which provides support for adult children navigating intellectual disabilities in all areas of life. “I want the world to be kind to James,” Farrell told .
“I want the world to treat him with kindness and respect.” The actor also shared the reason behind his non-profit, telling the magazin: “Once your child turns 21, they’re kind of on their own. All the safeguards that are put in place, special ed classes, that all goes away, and so you’re left with a young adult who should be an integrated part of our modern society and more often than not is left behind.
” “I choose to believe that if James knew getting his photograph in the back garden with me, which is not my favorite thing to do, if us doing this could help families and other young adults who live with special needs, he would say, ‘Dad, what are you talking about? Why are you even asking me? It’s a no-brainer,’” Farrell said. Farrell and actor Alicja Bachleda-Curuś share the actor’s youngest son, Henry. The “Ondine” co-stars welcomed their son on Oct.
7, 2009. In a ," Farrell revealed a parenting mishap with his youngest. When Henry was 8 years old, Farrell and his son watched the horror movie “It” in their house before bed one night.
“That was a parental dropping of the ball of epic proportions,” Farrell said. “We watched half of it and, uh ..
. I could discern a certain discomfort that was emanating from his 8-year-old body.” And apparently it’s not the movie critics, but a particular fashion critic that Farrell needs to fear.
He told DeGeneres that Henry, now 14, doesn’t always approve of his fashion choices and is “mortified” by the rather revealing shorts he’s been seen wearing. “He says, ‘Please dad, do not wear the short shorts,’” he said. “And I tell him, ‘They feel good.
’ It’s not a fashion thing.” But maybe Henry has come around to his dad's sartorial vision. Speaking to , Farrell said Henry was accompanying him to the Oscars — and they would be matching.
“We’re both wearing velvet tuxes,” he said. Indeed, they wearing matching suits — and looking spiffy. Ryan Hudgins is an editorial intern at TODAY.
com. She is currently pursuing a major in Journalism at the University of Richmond. In her free time, Ryan enjoys reading, running, hiking and surfing.
Liz Calvario is a Los Angeles-based reporter and editor for TODAY.com who covers entertainment, pop culture and trending news..
