Colin Farrell Says Tom Cruise “Was Not Happy” on MINORITY REPORT Set After He Showed Up Hungover and Needed 46 Takes to Nail a Scene
Colin Farrell recently shared a brutally honest behind-the-scenes story about the time he tested the patience of Tom Cruise during the making of Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi thriller Minority Report, and it all stemmed from one rough morning after a wild night out.
During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Farrell opened up about what he called “one of the worst days” he’s ever had on a film set. The actor, who was struggling with substance abuse at the time, admitted that his 26th birthday turned into a production nightmare.
“I had one of the worst days I’ve ever had on a film set [on ‘Minority Report’], It was my birthday on May 31, and we were shooting, and I begged production — who did I think I was? — of a $120 million film if they [could] not have me working on my birthday.
“So of course my pickup was 6 a.m. on May 31, and I got up to all sorts of nonsense the night before. And I remember getting into bed, and as soon as I turned off the light the phone rang and it was the driver, [who] said, ‘It’s 10 past 6.’ And I went, ‘Oh, shit.’”
When he arrived on set, things only got worse. Farrell was in no shape to perform, and assistant director David H. Venghaus Jr. immediately called him out. “You can’t go to the set like this,” Venghaus told him.
Farrell’s solution? Not exactly one for the Hollywood record books.
“And I went, ‘Just get me six Pacifico Cervezas and a packet of 20 [Marlboro] Red.’ Now, listen, it’s not cool because two years later I went to rehab, right? But it worked in the moment. All the holy people that we look to on how to live a life would say the present is all that counts.”
Fueled by a couple of beers, Farrell headed to set, and instantly regretted it.
“I had a couple of beers and went to set and it was terrible. I will never forget the line I had that I couldn’t get out. It was, ‘I’m sure you’ve all grasped the fundamental paradox of pre-crime methodology.’
That was the line that started the scene. I remember [the crew] coming up and saying, ‘Do you want to go out and take a breath of fresh air?’ And I remember thinking, ‘If I go out and take a breath of fresh air, then I’ll be under more pressure when I come back in to be better.’ And I went, ‘No, we’ll just go through it.’”
What followed was a marathon of frustration.
“We did 46 takes. Tom wasn’t very happy with me. Tom, who I love, was not very happy!”
Based on Philip K. Dick’s 1956 novella, the film is set in a future where a specialized police unit uses psychic “precogs” to stop crimes before they happen. Cruise stars as the head of the PreCrime division who becomes a fugitive after being accused of a future murder, while Farrell plays the government agent chasing him down.
Despite the rough morning on set, Minority Report went on to become a critical and commercial hit, grossing $358 million worldwide and solidifying both actors’ places in sci-fi history.
Farrell’s candid recollection might make fans appreciate his more grounded and reflective approach to filmmaking today, and serves as a reminder that even A-list productions can have moments that go completely off the rails.