This is The Movie That “Nearly Killed” Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell has opened up about one of the toughest experiences of his acting career: starring in Oliver Stone’s 2004 epic Alexander. In an interview with The Talks, the actor reflected on how the film’s critical reception affected him emotionally and professionally.

When asked about the “bad boy” label, Farrell said he isn’t overly concerned with public opinion. “I am not attached to anything with regard to people’s opinions. Which is not to say opinions don’t affect me, but I am definitely not attached to them. I run not from anything nor run towards anything either, do you know what I mean?”

The conversation turned to how he handles films that are panned by critics. “It is disappointing, but I identify myself less with my work than I used, so it doesn’t go in as deep anymore as other things that haven’t worked out in the past,” he said. Farrell then revealed that Alexander, in which he played Alexander the Great, “nearly killed” him.

He described the experience as emotionally and psychologically challenging despite his fortunate life.

“In an ideal world, you’ll make films and be parts of stories that people respond to. Films are made to be viewed by other people and to affect other people, to make them laugh or to make them question themselves or their environment or whatever it may be, to entertain. So, ideally, people will respond positively,” Farrell explained.

Farrell admitted he had high expectations for Alexander. He told the Hollywood Reporter that he thought the film would be Oscar-worthy.

“Expectation is a dangerous thing. Alexander was a story that Oliver Stone had dreamed of since he was in college. So, as grand as it was, as global as it was, as political as it was, as thrilling as it was, as violent as it was, and as sensual as it was, it was really personal — to Oliver and to me.”

He recalled the shock when the reviews came out. “We were all like, ‘Right, lads, we’re off to the Oscars. This is a sure thing.’ And then it came out. The reviews came out, and I remember someone going, ‘Oh God, it’s not good.’ And my publicist going, ‘It’s really not good.’ I was like, ‘Well, what do you mean ‘not good?’ … I felt so much shame. I found myself in a place where with everyone I met, I wanted to say, ‘Have you seen Alexander? If you have, I’m really sorry.’ I’m not even joking. I wasn’t going to give them their $20 million back.”

Despite the film’s mixed reception in the United States, Alexander still earned $167 million worldwide, though it was considered a critical and commercial failure. The film, based on Robin Lane Fox’s 1973 biography of Alexander the Great, has multiple versions, including three director’s cuts released between 2005 and 2014.

Farrell’s career, however, did not suffer in the long run. By 2006, he starred in Michael Mann’s Miami Vice and Terrence Malick’s The New World, both well-received films. Alexander is now seen as a challenging early role rather than a lasting setback in his career.

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