Colin Farrell's Real Name: Colin James Farrell

Quick answer: Colin Farrell's full name is Colin James Farrell. Britannica gives that full name, and the Library of Congress lists "Colin J. Farrell" as a variant. He was born May 31, 1976, in Castleknock, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The Irish actor broke out in Tigerland (2000), won Golden Globes for In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin, and played the Penguin on film and TV (Britannica; LOC).

Real name and early life

Britannica says Farrell grew up in a Dublin suburb as one of four children of Rita (née Monaghan) and Eamon Farrell. His father and uncle played professional soccer for Shamrock Rovers, and Colin played until he was about 15. He told David Letterman in 2008 that he then decided to do "something less meaningful—like acting." As a teenager he did some modeling, auditioned unsuccessfully for the boy band Boyzone, and danced in a country-and-western line-dancing troupe. He briefly attended the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, then left when he was cast in the BBC drama Ballykissangel in 1998.

Career highlights

Joel Schumacher's Vietnam War drama Tigerland (2000), with Farrell as the rebellious Pvt. Roland Bozz, caught Hollywood's attention. Hart's War, Minority Report, and Phone Booth followed in 2002, then The Recruit, Daredevil, and S.W.A.T. in 2003. Oliver Stone's Alexander (2004) flopped, Terrence Malick's The New World (2005) drew better reviews, and he played Sonny Crockett in Miami Vice (2006). Britannica says his drinking and drug use peaked while making Miami Vice, and he entered rehab right after filming.

His comeback was Martin McDonagh's In Bruges (2008), which won him a Golden Globe. He went on to make Crazy Heart, Horrible Bosses, Seven Psychopaths, Yorgos Lanthimos's The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Widows, and After Yang. He also starred in season two of True Detective (2015). In 2022 he played the Penguin in The Batman and reunited with McDonagh and Brendan Gleeson for The Banshees of Inisherin. That role earned him a second Golden Globe, the Volpi Cup at Venice, and an Oscar nomination. He then starred in the detective series Sugar (2024–). He won a third Golden Globe as the title character in the 2024 miniseries The Penguin.

Britannica notes that Farrell's son has Angelman syndrome, a genetic disorder. Farrell has supported special-needs organizations and served as a Special Olympics ambassador. He campaigned for same-sex marriage in Ireland in 2015.

Name notes for searchers

Colin is his first name, James his middle name, and Farrell the family surname shared with his footballing father, Eamon. The LOC also records the credit variants "Colin Farrel" and "Col Farrell." No stage name or legal name change is documented.