“A man with vision”: the movie role Colin Farrell called the biggest challenge
Since the early years of his career, it was evident that Colin Farrell had what it takes to make it to the top of the industry. However, that portfolio has strengthened even more in the latter half of his oeuvre, delivering unforgettable performances while not only working with talented co-stars but also fascinating filmmakers with completely different artistic visions.
Be it his disarmingly endearing outing in Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin to his enigmatic turn in Kogonada’s genre-breaking sci-fi film After Yang, Farrell has steadily increased his versatility and range as he has evolved as an actor. However, when looking back on the career he has led so far, there are certain projects that will always stand out as more difficult than others.
During a conversation with the BBC, Farrell was once asked about the role that proved to be the most challenging in terms of preparation and character work. The Irish actor unhesitatingly referred to Oliver Stone’s 2004 historical epic Alexander as the perfect example, claiming that filling the sandals of such an immense figure was hard in a lot of ways.
The on-screen challenges weren’t the only ones because Alexander was written off as a failure when it first came out, failing to turn a significant profit at the box office while also facing a critical backlash because of Stone’s uninspired treatment of the subject matter. Almost everyone was ready to include it in the list of ambitious movies that suffered because of their intended scope.
However, in the interview itself, Farrell was more focused on discussing the obstacles he faced as an actor and how he used them as fuel for tackling something as big as the role of the eponymous conqueror. He called Stone’s movie “the biggest challenge of my life. I thrive on a challenge. Comfort as an actor is the enemy, as the easy route is so readily available. I hope I never take it.”
Elaborating on the character, Farrell added: “I like the fact he was a man with vision and nothing was going to come in the way of him achieving that. I don’t think that vision was purely based on greed and the want for ownership. He was passionate. We all have to have a passion in life, or else we’re f****d. This was a man who, in the end, nearly ended up drowning in passion and in what his own passion created.”
Following the poor response from audiences and critics, Stone claimed that his original vision for the project was hampered by the powers that be and released subsequent versions that sought to rectify that. The final cut, which was called the “ultimate” one, came out in 2014 with extended segments, but it still reinforced the opinions held by many that Stone wasn’t the right filmmaker to handle material this vast and complex.
