Venerable actor Colin Farrell recently recalled a funny donkey incident while filming his new movie, The Banshees of Inisherin. Written and directed by Martin McDonagh, the upcoming drama reunites the acclaimed filmmaker with his In Bruges stars, Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. The film premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival where it received a 15-minute standing ovation. For the film, Farrell was awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and McDonagh won the Golden Osella for Best Screenplay. Receiving universal praise from critics, The Banshees of Inisherin has garnered a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Set in 1923 during the Irish Civil War, Farrell stars as Pádraic, a simple man who lives with his pet donkey on a remote island. He spends the bulk of his time drinking at the local saloon and having unimportant conversations with his older friend, Colm (Gleeson). However, when Colm dissolves their friendship without warning, Pádraic wrestles with his sudden loss and tensions rise in their small village. As a civil war rages miles away, one brews within their home, tearing the town apart.
In a recent interview with Empire, Farrell shares a funny Donkey incident while filming The Banshees of Inisherin. Throughout the film, the actor was frequently partnered with his character's pet, Jenny the donkey. Farrell recalled a humorous moment where he realized that Jenny did not like her nose being touched causing the animal to bite him. Read what Farrell said below.
"Ah, Jenny was tricky. It was her first film, but she acted like it was her 100th. She was kind of over it. Kind of jaded. She didn’t like her nose being touched, I found out. She kicked me in the knee. But that was my fault. I got too close to her."
Farrell & Gleeson Reunite With Their In Bruges Director
An old adage in Hollywood says that one should never work with children or animals as they are both quite difficult to control. Farrell learned that lesson the hard way while shooting The Banshees of Inisherin. Farrell also claimed that Gleeson's dog bit him as well. "I fucking got bitten by your fucking dog! I still have the scar," the actor said. However, he had a pleasant experience with his horse costar, Minnie, calling her "great," and adding "Minnie proved that there’s no such thing as small parts, just small actors."
Although Farrell had a tough time with his non-human costars, his latest film reunites the actor with Gleeson for the first time under McDonagh since the director's universally-praised black comedy, In Bruges. Critics agree that Farrell and Gleeson have picked up where they left off since the 2008 film and once again shine on screen. However, audiences will not have to wait much longer to once again witness Farrell and Gleeson's compelling chemistry when The Banshees of Inisherin lands in theaters on October 21.