Colin Farrell says he was in tears watching son with Angelman syndrome take first steps

Colin Farrell has detailed the emotional moment he watched his son James take his first steps just before his fourth birthday.

The Banshees of Inisherin star’s son, now 20, was born with Angelman syndrome, a rare disorder that affects the nervous system and causes developmental delays amongst other issues.

Speaking to People, Farrell revealed he was deeply moved by seeing his son walk for the first time and broke down in tears at the shock moment.

“I knew they [James’s carers] were working on walking,” the Irish actor said. “And I stood over there, and she let him go, and he just came to [me]. It was so profound. It was magic.”

He continued: “I’ll never forget just the face of determination on him as he walked toward me. He took, like, six steps, and I burst into tears.”

Farrell and his then-girlfriend Kim Bordenave welcomed James, his first child, in 2003. The former couple filed for conservatorship of James in May 2021, when he was 17 years old.

Elsewhere in the interview, Farrell revealed he is starting the Colin Farrell Foundation to provide support for people and families with intellectual disabilities through advocacy, education, and innovative programmes to honour his son, who is nonverbal.

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He explained that James, who will be turning 21 in September, will soon age out of many of the affordable and accessible programmes provided to families with children who have special needs.

“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.”

Farrell sat in the back garden with James and his live-in caregiver, as the Golden Globe winner told the outlet: “I want the world to be kind to James. I want the world to treat him with kindness and respect.”

He noted that it had marked the first time he was publicly speaking about his foundation, adding that “obviously the only reason I’m speaking is I can’t ask James if he wants to do this”.

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Farrell clarified: “I mean, I can. I speak to James as if he’s 20 and has perfect fluency with the English language and age-appropriate cognitive ability. But 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.”

The Batman actor went on to praise his son, who he said “has worked so hard all his life”.

“Repetition, repetition, balance, his jerky gait,” Farrell continued. “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.”

Although he admitted that “getting his photograph” taken isn’t James’s “favourite thing to do,” Farrell chose to believe that James would consider it a “no-brainer” as long as they “could help families and other young adults who live with special needs”.

“This is all because of James,” he said. “It’s all in his honour.”