Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Dublin Live
Dublin Live
National
Dan Grennan

Colin Farrell's lesser known story of helping a homeless man back on his feet

Colin Farrell's fame has shot to superstar status after he got he nod for an Oscar - but did you know he also has a history of helping the homeless.

The Banshees of Inisherin leading man is known for his work with the homeless world cup but many haven't heard how he helped a homeless man get back on his feet in Canada. Back in 2007, Colin bummed a cigarette off a man living in the streets of Toronto.

The two hit it off and Colin took 'Stress', the homeless man's street name, to an outdoor clothing shop and told him to get whatever he wanted. The bill came to $2,100.

Read more: Huge spike in anti-social behaviour on Luas in last three years

As if they wasn't enough, Colin then took 'Stress' to an ATM and withdrew $830. The homeless man used the money to rent a room and start a new life.

Meanwhile, there has been speculation the Castleknock man could have had a very different life after he revealed he auditioned for Boyzone. And he actually came very close to joining legendary boyband when the band was just being formed.

In an interview on RTE's The Late Late Show in 2019, Colin shocked viewers with the bombshell revelation that he was a former line dancer during his early years, and that he was scouted by Louis Walsh in the Pod nightclub in Dublin.

Colin told host Ryan Tubridy: "I was giving it socks on the dance floor and I went into the bar next door afterwards and I was told this fella wants to talk to you and it was Louis Walsh.

"He said, ‘I’m getting this band together and it’s gonna be great, and you’d be wonderful.’ I was wearing a tight rubber t-shirt and leather pants, so I was ready to come on and impress Gay Byrne." Colin said that Louis Walsh told him to come down to open auditions for the band, but added that auditions weren't really open and were more a formality so the press could get some photos.

Colin ultimately agreed, and he got his photo taken with some of the Boyzone lads like Shane Lynch and Mark Walton, who was one of the original members.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.