Colin Farrell at Zurich Film Festival

Colin Farrell drew a full house at the Zurich Film Festival’s Masters session, where actors sit down for an interview and take questions from the audience. From the start, he proved himself a natural storyteller—funny, vulnerable, and deeply engaging.

He kicked off with tales from filming in Macau, describing the city’s split personality: the old quarter on one side, and on the other, an Asian Las Vegas where slot machines go ding ding ding all day long and Celine Dion blasts from loudspeakers. His impressions had the audience in stitches.

But Farrell didn’t just entertain—he also opened up. Reflecting on his sudden rise to fame in his early twenties, he compared the experience to Amy Winehouse’s gift: “She could sing with staggering power and the world went crazy. But she must have thought: What’s the point? I’m just being myself. I felt a bit like that too—I wasn’t ready for all the attention.”

One fan asked, “How is it to be you?” Farrell laughed—“Thank you for existing” was her actual introduction—before answering honestly: “Like everyone else. Some days are great, some are full of anxiety or disappointment. Sometimes I can find my authentic self—by a river, in the sun. Other times, not at all. It’s like the sky: sunny one day, cloudy the next.”

His modesty extended to his craft. “I’m a dropout,” he said. “One of the things I did best in life was dropping out.” Yet his quick wit, emotional depth, and ability to connect with the audience showed why his career has lasted.

Farrell even offered a perspective on Zurich, calling it “family-oriented and kind”—a refreshing take for those of us who often find the city cold.

Not every moment soared (a detour into his search for the city’s best burger ended with “at my hotel restaurant”), but he closed strong, talking about roles he loved. His description of working with Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos on The Lobster was both funny and reverent: “This guy is mental—so depressing, so strong, so vivid.”

In the end, Colin Farrell came across exactly as you’d hope: witty, self-aware, and unafraid to show both light and shadow.