Colin Farrell is opening up about one of his worst days ever on a movie set, and it involves a very unhappy Tom Cruise.
The Irish actor recently stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and shared a pretty wild story from the set of Steven Spielberg’s 2002 sci-fi thriller Minority Report. Turns out, partying the night before filming doesn’t exactly mix well with delivering complicated dialogue—especially when you’re working alongside a perfectionist like Tom Cruise.
So here’s what went down. It was May 31st, Farrell’s birthday, and he’d begged the production team to give him the day off. “Who did I think I was?” he joked about making such a request for a $120 million film. Naturally, his plea didn’t work, and he was scheduled for a 6 a.m. pickup.
The problem? Farrell had gone out and “got up to all sorts of nonsense the night before.” He recalled getting into bed, turning off the light, and immediately hearing the phone ring. It was his driver calling to say it was already 10 past 6. Talk about a nightmare wake-up call.
When Farrell arrived on set, things only got messier. The assistant director took one look at him and said, “You can’t go to the set like this.” Farrell’s response? “Just get me six Pacifico Cervezas and a packet of 20 [Marlboro] Red.” He admits it’s not exactly something to brag about—he went to rehab just two years later in 2005—but in that moment, he thought it might help.
The real disaster came when cameras started rolling. Farrell had to deliver the line, “I’m sure you’ve all grasped the fundamental paradox of pre-crime methodology.” Simple enough, right? Well, not when you’re in the condition he was in. The crew even offered to let him step outside for some fresh air, but Farrell declined, worried he’d feel even more pressure when he came back.
“We did 46 takes,” Farrell revealed. “Tom wasn’t very happy with me. Tom, who I love, was not very happy!”
It makes sense that Tom Cruise, who’s known for his intense work ethic (just look at the Mission Impossible franchise, where he does his own death-defying stunts), wouldn’t have been thrilled about the situation. Cruise famously demands perfection from himself and holds those around him to a high standard. His Top Gun: Maverick co-star Jennifer Connelly even mentioned being more paranoid about knowing her lines than ever before because Cruise runs such a “tight ship.”
Looking back, Farrell can laugh about it now. He’s been sober since 2007 and has been open about how getting clean changed his life. Despite that rough day, Minority Report was a massive success, grossing $358 million worldwide and helping launch Colin Farrell into major Hollywood stardom.
The whole story is a reminder that even A-list actors have their not-so-glamorous moments. At least Farrell and Tom Cruise—who’ve both gone on to huge careers—can hopefully look back and chuckle about that infamous 46-take scene. And hey, maybe one day they’ll work together again, though hopefully under better circumstances.
