SO PROUD OF MY SPECIAL BOY

Colin Farrell's experience of life with his disabled son has made him a passionate advocate for change

- MAXINE PETERS

HE'S an award-winning actor who disappears into every role he takes - unrecognisable as Penguin in The Batman, dashing as the otherworldly detective in Sugar and charming as the amiable Irish cow herder in The Banshees of Inisherin.

But for Colin Farrell, his greatest role has been an unscripted one: that of a father to two sons, one of whom was born with special needs. It's a role that made him quit his bad-boy ways and saw him become an inspiration to parents of children with disabilities the world over.

It also led to the recent launch of his new endeavour, the Colin Farrell Foundation, which provides support for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. The foundation advocates for funding, changes to healthcare policies and accessible community-based housing for special needs children.

Driving Colin to start the organisation is the fact that his son James, who has Angelman syndrome, turns 21 in September and will no longer be part of support systems for special needs kids.

"All the safeguards that are put in place, special education classes that all goes away," Colin (48) tells People magazine in a new interview.

"So you're left with a young adult who should be an integrated part of our modern society and more often than not is left behind."

All he wants for his son is a life that's as easy as possible. "I want the world to be kind to James," he says. "I want the world to treat him with kindness and respect."

James, who's non-verbal and has a fulltime carer, is one of the reasons Colin quit booze nearly 18 years ago.

"James was about two when I got clean," the Irish actor says. "He was a big, big part of me putting the bottle down.

"I don't want to make out like I'm the perfect dad - I f*** up left, right and centre - but at least you have to be present to f*** up so I'm around. But they're very conjoined, my sobriety and my children."