Hungover Colin Farrell took 56 takes to nail tough Minority Report line

It took Colin Farrell 56 tires to master just one line on the set of his 2002 movie Minority Report because he was so hungover.

The Irish actor starred as Danny Witwer in the Steven Spielberg film, opposite Tom Cruise and Samantha Morton, and during the filming of the movie, the former hellraiser asked producers if he could have one day off to mark his 25th birthday.

However, his request was denied - meaning Colin had to attempt to get a line in the bag while battling a bad hangover after celebrating with a boozy night out.

"There were a couple of hairy days. I asked them with a great array of arrogance that they not work me the day after my birthday. I said, 'Please don't have me working on June 1st, ­because my birthday is May 31st,'" he recalled the Daily Mirror. "I thought a 100-million-dollar film would at least listen to that ­request... but I worked. It was a rough night and I didn't get any sleep. The line was, 'I'm sure you've all grasped the fundamental paradoxical pre-crime methodology.' I only know it now, still, 16 years later because it caused so much panic and anxiety. It should be on my tombstone.

"My sister was on the set that day and she had to leave the set after 56 takes. I was a disaster."

In December 2005, Colin checked into a rehabilitation treatment centre for addiction to drugs and alcohol.

He's been sober ever since, having headed back to rehab in 2018 to avoid a relapse, though is adamant his former lifestyle never really impacted his work.

"I was very professional, so I got away with murder for years," he commented. "I don't know what the perform­ances would have been like if I was sober. I don't know if they'd be better or worse. I'll never know."