Colin Farrell Opens Up About the Movie That Nearly Destroyed Him

Colin Farrell has opened up about one of the most challenging moments in his career: starring as Alexander the Great in Oliver Stone’s 2004 film Alexander. In a recent interview with The Talks, the actor reflected on the emotional toll the project took on him and how he handled the criticism that followed.

Farrell was first asked about being labeled a “bad boy” in Hollywood. He explained that he doesn’t dwell on 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?”

When the conversation turned to how he reacts to films that are panned by critics, Farrell admitted it can be tough but less personal than it used to be. “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. He then revealed that working on Alexander “nearly killed” him emotionally and psychologically.

Farrell described how invested he was in the project and how much he believed in its success. “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 told the Hollywood Reporter.

He recalled the shock he felt 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 its poor reception in the United States, Alexander performed well in Europe and earned $167 million worldwide, slightly above its $155 million budget.

The film, based on Robin Lane Fox’s biography of Alexander the Great, had several home video cuts released over the years, including three director’s cuts. Critics generally criticized the film’s length and historical inaccuracies but praised the performances, action sequences, and visuals.

Farrell’s career did not suffer in the long term. By 2006, he starred in Michael Mann’s Miami Vice and Terrence Malick’s The New World, both of which were well-received. Today, Alexander is remembered as a difficult but important role early in his career rather than a lasting setback.

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