Hollywood star Colin Farrell is shedding light on the journey he undertook to portray gambling addict Lord Doyle in his upcoming film.
The actor is attending the San Sebastián Film Festival with Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player. At the film’s press conference, he discussed the fast-paced thriller, stating, “It’s pretty well-chronicled now my history with addiction, but I don’t think you have to be an addict to play an addict. I found (Doyle’s) internal push and pull to be a lovely place to start.”
Farrell added, “He is somebody who doesn’t believe in his own worth, who is very self-centered to the point of being despicable. I still don’t have answers to anything in the script; I just have the experience of being in front of the camera with my fellow actors. As far as preparations go, I suppose I have some form of OCD that is given good life in regard to acting because you get to obsess about the characters and maybe imagine their history, their own personal kind of origin story.”
According to Variety, Ballad of a Small Player is featured in the official selection at the Basque festival, just a year after Berger’s Conclave premiered at the same event. The film, adapted from Lawrence Osborne’s novel, follows Lord Doyle as he navigates the Eastern gambling hub of Macau, where his past and debts loom large. Close to his breaking point, Doyle encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation.
Reflecting on the practicalities of playing a gambler, Farrell shared his experience of spending time in Macau’s sprawling casinos. He expressed gratitude for not having faced an addiction to gambling.
“Gambling is one affliction that never really came near me. I’m glad to say I only damaged my body and my brain, not my bank account,” he noted.