The question that led Colin Farrell to make a difficult decision for his son with Angelman syndrome.

Colin Farrell is known for many things: he's an Irish heartthrob, a 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.

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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, 15, who he shares with actress Alicja Bachleda-Curús.

At the New York premiere of his 2024 HBO series The Penguin, Farrell walked the red carpet with his youngest son, Henry.

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

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

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

James is nonverbal, as the 21-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 was a rare interview for Farrell, who hadn't spoken about his life with his sons much publicly.

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."

Colin Farrell is starting a foundation to help children and young adults with disabilities prepare for greater independence through advocacy, education and innovative programs.

His son James has a rare debilitating disorder called Angelman Syndrome.

“I want the world to be kind… pic.twitter.com/sUjc5dOrpa

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) August 7, 2024

But as James has become an adult, the family has faced new 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."

Now, in a new interview, Farrell has opened up about the decision he and James' mother, Brodenave, have made in moving James into a permanent care facility.

"It's tricky — some parents will say, 'I want to take care of my child myself.' And I respect that," Farrell told Candis magazine.

"But my horror would be, what if I have a heart attack tomorrow, and, God forbid, James' mother, Kim, has a car crash and she's taken too — and then James is on his own?" he added. "Then he's a ward of the state and he goes where? We'd have no say in it."

Colin explained that they are currently in the process of searching for the right facility for their son, and said that their priority is to "find somewhere we like where he can go now, while we're still alive and healthy, that we can go and visit, and we can take him out sometimes."

"We want him to find somewhere where he can have a full and happy life, where he feels connected," Farrell said.

In 2024, the actor 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.