Colin Farrell, openly discussing his struggles with alcohol and drugs, recalled one of the most difficult moments of his career — the filming of Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster ‘Minority Report’ (2002). The actor, who had just celebrated his 25th birthday, arrived on set with a severe hangover, which led to a real disaster.
That day he was supposed to film a key scene in which his character, Justice Department agent Danny Witwer, had to deliver a complicated line about the “fundamental paradoxes of PreCrime methodology.” After heavily celebrating his birthday the night before, he was unable to memorize or articulate the dialogue properly. As a result, Spielberg was forced to shoot the scene dozens of times, and Farrell repeated the line 56 times before it was completed.
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He had asked Spielberg not to schedule filming the day after his birthday but the request was denied. For Farrell, this became a painful reminder that even on a $100 million production, his personal struggles would not be accommodated.
The actor still remembers the line from that day, calling it his worst memory from the set. It caused him such panic and distress that he once remarked it could have been inscribed on his gravestone. The episode became another stark reminder of his long battle with addiction. Today, Farrell maintains that he has undergone several treatments and has remained sober.
A Struggle with Addiction
Colin Farrell has never hidden his issues with alcohol and drugs, which began when he was only 19 years old. He developed a high tolerance for different substances and eventually reached a point where he could no longer stop. After completing Miami Vice (2006), his family convinced him to seek help. In 2018, he underwent another course of rehabilitation in order to finally overcome his dependency.
