Colin Farrell Opens Up About His “Worst Day on Set” and Why Tom Cruise Wasn’t Happy During Minority Report Shoot

The Oscar-nominated actor revealed how a wild birthday night led to 46 takes, a frustrated Tom Cruise, and a hard lesson early in his Hollywood career.

Colin Farrell recently opened up about what he calls “one of the worst days I’ve ever had on a film set” during his appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The Irish actor, currently starring in Netflix’s The Ballad of a Small Player, recalled a disastrous experience while filming his breakthrough role in Steven Spielberg’s 2002 sci-fi classic Minority Report. In the movie, Farrell played a Justice Department agent investigating Tom Cruise’s character for pre-crime violations.

Farrell said he was in awe of working with Cruise and Spielberg, both of whom had inspired him growing up. But when the shoot happened to fall on his birthday, things took a turn. “It was May 31, my birthday. I begged production not to have me working that day — on a $120 million film! Who did I think I was?” he joked. The night before, he celebrated a little too hard. When he woke up, it was already 6 a.m., and his driver was waiting.

Still groggy and unprepared, Farrell rushed to set. “I showed up and the assistant director looked at me and said, ‘You can’t go to set like this.’ And I just said, ‘Get me six beers and a pack of Marlboro Reds,’” he recalled. The actor admitted this incident took place a couple of years before he went to rehab and became sober.

Despite downing a few beers to steady himself, things quickly fell apart on set. His opening line for the scene — “I’m sure you’ve all grasped the fundamental paradox of pre-crime methodology” — just wouldn’t come out right. “It was terrible,” he said. “We did 46 takes. Tom wasn’t very happy with me.”

Farrell described the moment as humbling, especially since Cruise, known for his meticulous work ethic, expects everyone around him to be equally prepared. Still, Minority Report turned out to be a critical and commercial hit, grossing over $350 million worldwide and solidifying Farrell’s status as one of Hollywood’s rising stars.

Looking back, the actor called the experience both embarrassing and transformative. “That day taught me a lot about professionalism,” he said, reflecting on how his early struggles and later sobriety helped shape the person and performer he is today.

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