| 7.6°C Dublin

'I sang Careless Whisper twice in a room with Louis Walsh - I was tone deaf' - Colin Farrell on his Boyzone audition

Colin Farell on Lorraine, ITV Expand

Close

Colin Farell on Lorraine, ITV

Colin Farell on Lorraine, ITV

Colin Farell on Lorraine, ITV

Lynne Kelleher

Hollywood star Colin Farrell has revealed he doesn't get to Ireland as often as he would like - but he keeps up all his childhood friendships.

The actor, who is starring in the new movie Dumbo, said he spends most of his free time in Los Angeles to be close to his two sons, 15-year-old James and nine-year-old Henry.

But he told the Lorraine show yesterday that he loves catching up with his old pals when he is in the country.

"I don't get [home] as much as I would like to because I travel so much with work, so when I'm not working I want to go home and be with the kids," he said.

Dumbo Expand

Close

Dumbo

Dumbo

Dumbo

"But I was at home for Christmas for three weeks and then I go tomorrow for three nights so I'll catch up with my mates, call around their houses for cups of tea and all that jazz.

"I just catch up with what's going on at home. It's mad. I've a few friends at home and things haven't changed.

"There is some kind of commonality that defies description that means it's just easy when I see them. We know each other for the longest time."

He also gave a special shout-out to his Auntie May and cousin Martina on the ITV show.

"She is the most gentle and bravest woman in the world," Colin said.

"She has been fighting health issues and having a really rough time so I just wanted to say 'I love you'.

"And my cousin, whose name I can't remember. Oh my God... Martina - I'm so sorry. Martina, Martina!"

His excuse for the slip was being preoccupied by Lorraine's choice of clothing. "Lorraine makes me nervous when she wears leopard-skin print," he said.

Colin also revealed his sons are not remotely impressed by his movies.

He recently took nearly a year out to spend time with them but he is back on the big screen with a starring role in the remake of Dumbo.

Video of the Day

"My youngest saw it. He thought it was all right," he said.

"He's not too impressed. It's a tough crowd at home, they are so not impressed. But that's the way to have it - it keeps you honest."

He said he loved working with kids and animals on the movie directed by Tim Burton.

"The days are actually more limited when you do, you get more time off," he said.

"It's very sweet at its centre. It's fundamentally a story about family and forgiveness.

"It deals with a lot of heavy issues, about sickness. I play a widower, my children have lost their mother… but it does it in such a gentle way that is accessible to a wide audience."

He also laughed about narrowly missing out on a spot in 1990s boyband Boyzone.

"Things could have been different. The one big regret", he joked.

"It's mad. I sang Careless Whisper twice in a room with Louis Walsh and a couple of producers.

"[I was] tone deaf. They made me sing it a second time because they couldn't believe how bad it was the first time."

Related Content

Most Watched

Privacy