Outside of his comfort zone, Colin Farrell’s residence is filled with hustle and commotion.
As photography and film crews scramble around the hillside house in Los Angeles, Farrell, 48, keeps an eye on his son James, 20, who has Angelman syndrome, a rare neurogenetic illness. James, a nonverbal individual, engages in a game of catch with his live-in caretaker in the backyard. He establishes eye contact with a nearby journalist and promptly tosses the little basketball in her way, including her in his game.
James’ eyes light up when he sees Farrell, but it pales in comparison to the palpable swell in his father’s chest when everyone around them responds so sweetly to him. “I want the world to be kind to James,” the actor told people. “I want the world to treat him with kindness and respect.”
That, ultimately, is what drove Farrell’s choice to open up his house and discuss his life with his kid for the first time. James (who Farrell shares with an ex, model Kim Bordenave), who turns 21 in September, will no longer be eligible for many of the support mechanisms offered to families with special needs children.
“Once your child turns 21, they’re kind of on their own,” adds Farrell. “All the protective measures and special education programs disappear, leaving a young adult who ought to integrate into our contemporary society but frequently falls behind.”
To help bridge that gap, the actor has established the Colin Farrell Foundation, which will give advocacy, education, and creative initiatives to adult children with intellectual impairments. “This is the first time I’ve spoken about it, and the only reason I’m speaking is I can’t ask James if he wants to do this,” he tells me.
“I mean, I could. I speak to James as if he is 20 years old, fluent in English, and has age-appropriate cognitive abilities. But I can’t get a clear answer from him about whether he’s okay with all of this, so I have to decide based on knowing James’ spirit, what sort of young man he is, and the kindness that he has in his heart.”
James “has worked so hard all his life, so hard,” Farrell says. “Repetition, repetition, balance, and jerky gait. When he first started feeding himself, his visage resembled that of Jackson Pollock toward the end. But he takes everything in and feeds himself well. I’m pleased with him every day, because I believe he’s magical.”
Regarding the organization, Farrell has “for years wanted to do something in the realm of providing greater opportunities for families who have a child with special needs to receive the support that they deserve, basically assistance in all areas of life,” he elaborates.
James and those like him have “earned the right to a greater degree of individuality and autonomy in life, as well as a greater degree of community.”
For the time being, the actor prefers to believe “that if James knew that taking his portrait in the backyard with me, which is not my favorite thing to do, may benefit families and other young people who live with special needs, he would say, ‘Dad, what are you talking about?” Why are you asking me? “It’s a no-brainer,” Farrell says. “So that’s why we’re doing it.” This is all because of James, and it is all in his honor.”