Colin Farrell is in Toronto for the TIFF premiere of his latest film, “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”, and sat down for an interview at the People, Entertainment Weekly and InStyle studio, accompanied by co-star Nicole Kidman and director Yorgos Lanthimos.
During the chat, Farrell opened up about his 13-year-old son, James, who was born with Angelman syndrome, a rare genetic disorder with symptoms that include developmental disabilities and impaired motor function.
“When James took his first steps a couple weeks short of his fourth birthday, it was pretty amazing and humbling to see,” Farrell recalled of his son.
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While witnessing your child’s first steps is a milestone moment for any parent, it had special resonance for Farrell as doctors had predicted James may never walk.
“People talk about the children taking the first step, it’s obviously a monumental moment and it’s been represented in film,” Farrell says. “But to be told your child may never take the first step and then see those first steps is just kind of a different sport all together.”
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After sharing the anecdote, Farrell jokingly told Kidman to “beat that,” but she had nothing to offer — because her children have apparently banned her from telling stories about them during media interviews.
“I’m not allowed to talk right now about my children because they’re becoming aware of what I say and it gets reported back to them so I’ve been silenced,” Kidman responded. “I’m just very, very proud of them and would love to be able to discuss them, but have been told to cut it out.”
