Colin James Farrell (born 31 May 1976) is an Irish film actor. After successfully landing a role on BBC's Ballykissangel in 1998, he quit acting school in Ireland. He made his film debut in the Tim Roth-directed The War Zone (1999)[1] and gained wider fame upon discovery by Joel Schumacher for Tigerland (2000). Farrell subsequently starred in the American thrillers Phone Booth (2002, S.W.A.T. and The Recruit (both 2003), quickly establishing his international box office bankability. During those same years, he also appeared in Steven Spielberg's Minority Report (2002) and as the villain in Daredevil (2003). After starring in independent films Intermission (2003) and A Home at the End of the World (2004), he headlined Oliver Stone's biopic Alexander (2004) and the well-regarded Terrence Malick Pocahontas movie, The New World (2005).

Work in Michael Mann's Miami Vice, the adaptation of John Fante's Ask the Dust (both 2006), and Woody Allen's Cassandra's Dream (2007) followed, underscoring Farrell's continued popularity among Hollywood's important writers and directors, but it was his role in fellow Irishman Martin McDonagh's In Bruges (2008) by which he received a Golden Globe in 2008. More recently, he co-starred in the Fright Night (2011) and Total Recall (2012) remakes as well as McDonagh's second feature, Seven Psychopaths (2012). He also played the lead opposite Noomi Rapace, in the Niels Arden Oplev-directed action film Dead Man Down (2013). Farrell will star as Peter Lake in Akiva Goldsman's film adaptation of Mark Helprin's Winter's Tale alongside Russell Crowe and Will Smith, as Travers Goff in Saving Mr. Banks, and as Jean opposite Jessica Chastain in Liv Ullmann's adaptation of Miss Julie, among other films.  Farrell amassed a reputation as a lothario, dating a range of women from Angelina Jolie to former Playboy playmate Nicole Narain. Around this time he was named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2003.