Colin Farrell Names The 1 Thing He Has ‘Guilt’ Over As A Parent Of A Disabled Kid
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The “Sugar” star got candid while discussing his new foundation to help families with disabled children who do not have the same means as a movie star.
Colin Farrell thinks his son is “magic” — but he’s also aware of the complexities of raising a child with a disability.
On Wednesday, the “Sugar” star opened up to People in a video profile about his son James, 20, who has an intellectual disability called Angelman syndrome, a rare neurogenetic condition that also affects his mobility.
“He’s bold as brass,” Farrell said while describing James’ personality nearly 12 minutes into the video. “And he’s cheeky as they come, but he’s just a damn fine young man.”
Yet, despite clearly adoring his son, the actor said that raising a child with a disability is challenging and that he often feels “guilt” when he does “nice things” for himself.
“It’s so all-encompassing that if you do something nice for yourself, or give yourself a massage, or go on a little two-day road trip with your husband or your wife, you feel like you’re being irresponsible, you feel like you’re neglecting your child,” Farrell said.
When Hilary Swank was 6, her family moved into a trailer park. Nine years later, her parents separated, and she and her mother relocated to LA, where they lived in their car until they could afford an apartment. After winning her first Oscar, she proudly proclaimed that she was still a coupon clipper because "when you open up the paper and you see those coupons, it looks like dollar bills staring you in the face."