Colin Farrell’s Smoking Letter: The Crazy Way The Actor Quit Smoking

Colin Farrell quit smoking by writing a letter, throwing it in a frying pan, and lighting it up. The True Detective star recently revealed the bizarre way he broke up with cigarettes, and it’s a method that might not work for everyone.

According to ETonline, Colin Farrell covers the September issue of Men’s Health, and he gave the magazine a far-reaching interview that touched on topics from relationships (or a lack thereof) to how he kicked his smoking habit. Colin’s breakup with tobacco was a bizarre ritual that included a lot of smoke and a letter to “the Spirit of Tobacco.”

“I wrote a breakup letter to the Spirit of Tobacco,” Farrell revealed. “I got a frying pan and tossed the letter with a load of tobacco, put some paraffin over it, and lit a match that sent a big, wallowing cloud up into the sky. Then I didn’t have a cigarette for another two years.”

According to Mayo Clinic, writing about smoking is one of the many methods smokers can use to help themselves kick the habit. However, the website’s experts don’t recommend Colin’s method of ritualistically burning a goodbye letter to cigarettes. Instead, they suggest making a list of the reasons why you want to quit and keeping that list handy for whenever you have a nicotine craving.

“Consider what you don’t like about smoking, and why you want to quit smoking. Are you worried about health consequences, such as lung cancer and heart disease? Do you want to feel better? Set a good example for your kids? Rid yourself of that lingering smoke smell on your hair, skin and clothes? Write it all down and carry the list with you. Each time you pick up a cigarette or have the urge to do so, read your list and remind yourself why you want to quit smoking.”

Colin Farrell seemingly kicked his habit cold turkey without any help, but Bill Blatt, director of tobacco programs at the American Lung Association, told USA Today that this method has a very low success rate — only five percent of people who try to quit without a plan, medication, or other forms of support manage to stay-smoke free for six months or longer. Blatt says that the most successful quitters are those who rely on a combination of counseling and medication.

Even if Colin’s method of quitting isn’t for everyone, at least he’s being a good role model by putting the cigarettes down. As the Inquisitr previously reported, the actor has signed on to play a wizard in the new Harry Potter spinoff movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This role will likely help win the 39-year-old actor more than a few young fans, so it’s a good thing he won’t be making cancer sticks look cool. And who needs a cig in their hand when they’ve got a magic wand?

Farrell might also capture the hearts of a few of the moms out there who use their kids’ love of the Harry Potter books and movies as an excuse to indulge in the wizarding world. Female Potterheads will be happy to learn that Farrell is single, so they can fantasize away while watching Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Oh, and the actor also sounds like a doting dad who has his head in the right place.

“It’s not that I don’t get lonely sometimes, but I’m okay about it,” Colin said while talking about being a single father. “The most significant aspect of my life lives far away from anywhere that a camera is needed. You play the part and do interviews but don’t overextend yourself or put on a mask or change your name. Because when you get home, the only thing that matters is your son is not eating his turkey sandwiches and he’s not into avocado anymore, so you have to find something new that he’ll eat for lunch.”

What do you think of Colin Farrell’s smoking letter ritual? Does it sound like he used a bit of Hogwarts wizardry to kick the habit?

[Image credits: Frazer Harrison/Getty, Men’s Health]