'I just think he's magic.' The private life of Colin Farrell and his two sons.

Colin Farrell is known for many things: Irish heartthrob, multiple award-winning actor and a longtime ladies' man.

Throughout the '00s, the actor was romantically linked to the world's most beautiful women, ranging from Angelina Jolie to Rihanna and Britney Spears.

But there's one descriptor that often gets missed when thinking of Farrell: as a proud dad.

The Irish actor has two children: his eldest son, James Padraig Farrell, 21, who he had with ex-girlfriend Kim Bordenave and his other son, Henry Tadeusz Farrell, 14, who he shares with actress Alicja Bachleda-Curús.

At the New York premiere of his HBO series The Penguin, Farrell walked the red carpet with his youngest son, Henry.

Colin Farrell and Henry Farrell attend HBO's The Penguin New York premiere. Image: Getty.

The series is a spin-off 2022's gritty reboot of The Batman which will see the Irish actor take centre stage as the iconic Gotham City villain, tracing back to the Penguin's mobster roots.

In an interview with People, the actor has opened up about his other son James who didn't appear at the premiere.

James is nonverbal, as the 20-year-old has Angelman syndrome, a rare neurogenetic disorder.

"I want the world to be kind to James," the actor said. "I want the world to treat him with kindness and respect."

This is a rare interview for Farrell, who hasn't spoken about his life with his sons much publicly. Until now.

The 48-year-old shared that James "has worked so hard all his life, so hard," he said. "When he started feeding himself for the first time, his face looks like a Jackson Pollock by the end of it. But he gets it in, he feeds himself beautifully. I'm proud of him every day, because I just think he's magic."

But since his child has become an adult, the family has faced challenges.

"Once your child turns 21, they're kind of on their own," Farrell said. "All the safeguards that are put in place, special ed classes, that all goes away, 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."

To remedy this, the actor has launched the Colin Farrell Foundation to offer support, education and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities.

"This is the first time I've spoken about it, and obviously the only reason I'm speaking is I can't ask James if he wants to do this," he said.

"I can't discern a particular answer from him as to whether he's comfortable with all this or not, so I have to make a call based on knowing James's spirit and what kind of young man he is and the goodness that he has in his heart."

In a 2017 interview with the Irish Examiner, the actor credited his kids for "lighting up my life."

When Farrell won a Golden Globe in 2023 for his role in The Banshees of Inisherin, he dedicated his award to his sons. "My kids are watching this at home. James and Henry, the loves of my life," he said.

"I love you so much."

Feature image: Colin Farrell Foundation / Getty.