Colin Farrell Once An Attempted Murder Suspect, But Had A Drug-Fueled Party As An Alibi

Colin Farrell was once an attempted murder suspect, but eventually got out of trouble thanks to a drug-fueled party.

The actor stopped by The Tonight Show on Thursday to promote the new season of True Detective. The actor and co-star Vince Vaughn played a game called “True Confessions,” in which Vaughn and host Jimmy Fallon had to guess whether Farrell’s confession was true or false.

Colin Farrell then confessed that he was once a suspect in an attempted murder. After a minute of questioning, Vaughn and Fallon determined correctly that Colin was telling the truth.

Farrell then explained that his trouble with the law was a case of mistaken identity.

“I was supposed to bring my mother to the airport — I was in Sydney, Australia,” Farrell explained. “I was pulled in by the cops and they showed me a photo of the pencil sketch of the guy that had attempted to murder this other gentleman. [He’d] beat him up and left him in his own apartment and set the apartment on fire and split, thereby leaving the guy to burn to death. It was me. They said, ‘What do you think about that picture?’ And I went, ‘I think I’m in trouble.'”

But Colin Farrell was eventually released as a suspect thanks to a drug-fueled party and one friend’s impeccable record-keeping.

“It was terrifying,” Farrell said. “I was there for about six hours. Thankfully, a friend of mine had kept a journal and that particular night at that particular time, we were at a party on the other side of town doing ecstasy.”

But Farrell has put those days behind him now. Once known as a notorious partier and playboy, Farrell has settled down and is now focused on raising his two sons.

“I have not dated for, ooh, four years now,” he told the Sunday Times. “It’s just not happening, what with the work, the kids and my life. I know it’s not what people expect to hear, but that’s the honest truth.”

Farrell said he has spent the last few years trying to raise his boys on the right path, which means avoiding the Hollywood limelight and the partying.

“It’s not all about you anymore, which is a relief,” Farrell said. “It’s about a bigger world, and helping them find their place in it.”

Colin Farrell has now traded his days as a suspect for one as a detective. The actor is taking over the lead role in Season 2 of the HBO drama True Detective, which premieres this week.

[Image via Getty Images/Kevin Winter]