Colin Farrell has shared his reaction to hearing about negative reviews for Alexander. The historical epic sits at a 16% Critics Score and 35% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Farrell starred as the titular Alexander the Great in the film, and, participating in an Actors Roundtable for The Hollywood Reporter, explained that the film was personal for both him and director Oliver Stone, and the actor had high expectations for its reception.
"When I say 'expectations,' we all had our tuxedos ready. I'm not even joking," Farrell said. "There were some of the lads who were all like ‘Right, lads, we're off to the Oscars. This is a sure thing,' because we had Oliver Stone. We had a story of that magnitude. We had a script that was really moving and really just brilliant and so muscular. And then it came out.
"I was in Toronto, and I think I was due a bit of a foot in the arse to be honest. Which is not the same as saying I deserved it," he continued. "I just want to be clear... But the reviews came out – we were up in Toronto – and I remember my sister Claudine going, 'Oh god. It's not good.' And Danica my publicist, going, 'It's really not good.' I was like, 'What do you mean, not good?' There wasn't any shortcut, Rotten Tomatoes, 'What percentage are we talking here?' It wasn’t that. It was 'What do you mean?' And they had all the printed reviews. And it was one after another, and it was 'pack my bags,' 'found out,' 'Alexander the Dull,' 'Alexander the Boring,' 'Alexander the Inarticulate,' 'Alexander the Weak,' 'Alexander the…' I was like 'Holy shit.' And I thought 'What can I do?' I felt so much shame."
But, in better news, Farrell has won a Golden Globe for his performance in The Banshees of Inisherin, which also won for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Banshees is streaming on Disney Plus in the UK and HBO Max in the US. You can fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best Netflix shows available to watch now.
