Colin Farrell Credits This Movie for Launching His Career: “Really Did It for Me”

Colin Farrell has often credited one film with inspiring him to become an actor. In interviews, the Dublin-born star has spoken about how seeing Steven Spielberg’s 1982 blockbuster ET the Extra-Terrestrial as a child completely captivated him.

ET, Spielberg’s follow-up to 1977’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, tells the story of a young boy who befriends an alien. The film was inspired by Spielberg’s own childhood experiences, including imagining an imaginary friend while coping with his parents’ divorce.

When it premiered, ET became the highest-grossing film at the time, launched Drew Barrymore to stardom, and earned an Oscar for John Williams’ iconic score.

Farrell recalled his first viewing, saying, “I cried and I just loved it. I was taken away completely to another world. It inspired in me all sorts of thoughts, emotions, and it has stayed with me very much. ET really did it for me.” This moment sparked his passion for acting and set him on the path to a career in film.

Farrell began his career in television, appearing in shows like Ballykissangel and Falling for a Dancer in the late 1990s. His first feature film role came in Tim Roth’s The War Zone, a dark drama about a girl caught in a family crisis, where Farrell played her boyfriend Nick.

He then appeared in Ordinary Decent Criminal with Kevin Spacey and Linda Fiorentino. In 2000, he landed his first leading role in Joel Schumacher’s Tigerland, playing Private Roland Bozz.

Critics praised his performance, with Variety stating he “shines as the subversive yet basically decent lad whose cynicism may be the only sane reaction to a situation.” Although the film’s box office was modest, it helped Farrell gain wider recognition in Hollywood.

Over the years, Farrell has balanced smaller dramatic roles with blockbuster projects. In 2022, he starred in Thirteen Lives, portraying a diver involved in the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue in Thailand.

The cast performed their own stunts, including underwater diving, which Farrell admitted caused him anxiety. That same year, he took on the role of Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, or the Penguin, in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. His performance led to a spin-off HBO series, The Penguin, in 2024, earning him a Golden Globe for Best Actor, Miniseries or Television Film. He is set to reprise the role in The Batman Part II in 2027.

Farrell has also received critical acclaim for his dramatic work. He reunited with Martin McDonagh and Brendan Gleeson for The Banshees of Inisherin, which earned him the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

In 2024, he was reported to star alongside Margot Robbie in Kogonada’s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, with filming beginning in April. Most recently, in 2025, Farrell entered talks to play Sgt. Rock in a DC Studios film directed by Luca Guadagnino.

Farrell’s career shows how early inspiration can shape a lifetime of work. From being captivated by ET as a child to taking on award-winning roles and major franchise characters, Farrell has built a career that blends emotional depth with versatility. His story is a clear example of how a single film can ignite a passion that leads to decades of success in the entertainment industry.

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