Here's What We Know About Colin Farrell's Two Children, Including 21-Year-Old James Who Lives With Angelman's Syndrome
"I adore him and I will always be in his life forever. He'll always know who his dad is. Fatherhood for me is the ultimate success."
Published Oct. 28 2024, 4:15 p.m. ET
Colin Farrell and his son James (L) and his son Henry (R)
Irish actor and heartthrob Colin Farrell is best known for his leading roles on the big screen. But there's another role he takes perhaps much more seriously: that as father to his two children.
The charismatic actor loves both of his sons, and has recently opened up about his eldest son's battle with Angelman's Syndrome. Here's what we know about Colin's two sons, and the fight his eldest son lives with on a daily basis.
Colin Farrell and his son James (L) and Henry (R)
Colin Farrell's two children are the apple of his eye.
Colin has two sons, James Padraig Farrell and Henry Tadeusz. James, who was born in 2003 and is 21 now, lit up his father's world from the moment he was born. In a 2004 interview, Colin told The Irish Examiner, "I adore him and I will always be in his life forever. He'll always know who his dad is. Fatherhood for me is the ultimate success." He shares James with model Kim Bordenave.
In 2009, Colin welcomed his second son Henry with ex-partner Alicja Bachleda-Curús. Colin and his younger son have a fairly typical father-son relationship, and Colin says that despite being a heartthrob pined for by millions, he still embarrasses his son by doing dad things. For instance, in a 2022 interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Colin explained that his son is mortified when he wears short shorts.
In many ways, Colin's relationship with his elder son is also typical. He adores him, supports him, and loves him unconditionally. But James lives with Angelman's syndrome, which means that their life together is more complicated than that of many people.
Colin and his son, Henry
What is Angelman's Syndrome?
In 2007, Colin opened up about his son's diagnosis. He spoke on Tubridy Tonight (via People), explaining why he has chosen to speak openly about his son's diagnosis of Angelman's syndrome: "The reason I [revealed that James had Angelman’s] was just because I was working with the Special Olympics and they were asking me questions, and I didn’t talk about my son [but] I felt like I was betraying him, like it could be misconstrued as shame, which would be terrible, because he’s such a celebration, the little fella."
Angelman's syndrome (also called Angelman Syndrome) is a neuro-degenerative disease caused by a change in a person's base genes. Angelman's symptoms are marked by delayed development, problems with speech and balance, mental disability, and, sometimes, seizures. Children often begin displaying symptoms between six months and a year, and seizures can manifest between ages 2 to 3. People with Angelman's often laugh and smile easily, and to a degree that can be considered inappropriate.
Colin said in a People interview in 2024 that James was originally misdiagnosed with cerebral palsy, due to some muscular symptoms the two diseases share. To honor his son, he started the Colin Farrell Foundation. This is aimed at creating and increasing resources for families of special needs children, especially when those children become adults who no longer have access to the same level of support they received as children.
In that interview, Colin acknowledges that he has more resources than most and still struggles to meet his son's needs. By speaking about James's story, he hopes to help children and adults who he feels the world often forgets.
