Colin Farrell calls Saving Mr. Banks, The New World “legacy” films

Last Updated on January 10, 2023

Most famous actors at some point must think of their legacy—what they’ll leave behind on the screen and how it will be seen. For Colin Farrell, it comes down to a short but diverse list.

In a new interview alongside Emma Thompson–who also co-starred in 2013’s Saving Mr. Banks but didn’t have any scenes together–Colin Farrell discussed what his legacy as an actor was.

One key film that Colin Farrell highlighted was Saving Mr. Banks, in which he had a supporting role as Travers Goff, the father of P.L. Travers (played as an adult by Emma Thompson), author of the Mary Poppins books. “Banks would certainly be in there because I’ve spoken to people, I don’t put this veil on it myself, but I’ve spoken to people that said that they experienced an amount of healing, watching Saving Mr. Banks.” There has been a fairly similar reaction to his latest, The Banshees of Inisherin. “And I’ve spoken to a couple of people about Banshees or they’ve spoken to me about how they felt less alone watching the film.

Colin Farrell also mentioned his 2005 collaboration with Terrence Malick, The New World, in which he played Captain John Smith. “I got tickled pink when I heard that The New World, a film I did years ago, was being put in the Criterion Collection. That tickled me. Because it kind of said, “Oh, it’s going to stay around a little bit.” Or it’s going to be in a fucking dark library in New York that actors are going to go and do a 15-minute segment on YouTube where they pick their five favorite films.” Farrell seems to be referring to Criterion’s Closet Picks segment in which filmmakers and the like get to take home a selection of Criterion Collection DVDs/Blu-rays from the famed closet.
Colin Farrell had a strong 2022, starring in The Banshees of Inisherin (which is likely to get him his first Oscar nomination), the vastly underrated Thirteen Lives and appearing as The Penguin in The Batman. The latter will be spun off into its own television series, set to premiere in 2024.

What is your favorite Colin Farrell movie? What do you think his legacy as an actor is? Let us know in the comments section below!