This is The Movie That “Nearly Killed” Colin Farrell

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Colin Farrell recently shared that making the 2004 film Alexander, directed by Oliver Stone, was a particularly difficult experience for him. In a conversation with The Talks, he discussed how the movie’s negative reviews impacted him both personally and in his career.

You know, when someone brought up the whole “bad boy” thing, I was really interested in how Colin Farrell responded. He basically said he doesn’t get too caught up in what people think of him. He clarified it’s not that opinions don’t matter, but he doesn’t define himself by them. It’s like he’s not trying to live up to or run away from any particular image – he just kind of… is. He put it really well, saying he’s not chasing or avoiding anything, and I think a lot of us can relate to that.

We started talking about how he deals with critical flops, and it was a surprisingly self-aware answer. He admitted it used to really sting, but he’s gotten to a point where he doesn’t tie his self-worth to his movies as much. He said past disappointments have, strangely, built a bit of a shield. Then, he dropped a bombshell: making Alexander – where he played Alexander the Great – was almost a breaking point for him. He said it nearly destroyed him, which really put things in perspective!

Even though he was generally happy with his life, he found the experience deeply upsetting and difficult to cope with.

Farrell said that the best thing is when you create films that connect with audiences. Movies are meant to be shared and have an impact – whether that’s making people laugh, think, or simply be entertained. Ultimately, he hopes people will enjoy and react well to the work.

Farrell shared that he initially had very high hopes for the movie, telling the Hollywood Reporter he believed it could win an Oscar.

Having high expectations can be risky. The film Alexander was a project Oliver Stone had envisioned since his college days. Despite its epic scope, international reach, political themes, excitement, violence, and sensuality, the movie was ultimately a very personal story for both Stone and myself.

He remembered being stunned when the first reviews were published. They had all been confident the film would be an Oscar contender, but the reviews quickly shattered that hope. He recalled someone quietly saying, “Oh no, this isn’t good,” and his publicist confirming it was “really not good.” He felt deeply embarrassed and ashamed, to the point where he instinctively wanted to apologize to anyone he met who had seen the film. He was even worried about having to return the $20 million investment.

Although “Alexander” received mixed reviews and wasn’t a success in the US, it still made $167 million around the world. The movie, which was based on a 1973 biography of Alexander the Great, has several different cuts, including three versions created by the director and released between 2005 and 2014.

Looking back, Colin Farrell really bounced back from that early role in ‘Alexander’. By 2006, he was already in two fantastic films – Michael Mann’s ‘Miami Vice’ and Terrence Malick’s ‘The New World’ – both of which were really well received. Now, most people see ‘Alexander’ as a bold, if tricky, choice early in his career, not something that held him back at all.

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2026-01-09 13:15