Colin Farrell Says He Had Panic Attacks While Filming Thirteen Lives: ‘It Was Incredibly Stressful’

When Colin Farrell discovered that his thirteen lives With actor Viggo Mortensen wanting to do the film’s grueling underwater scenes rather than relying on a stunt double, he couldn’t resist the urge to dive in after him.

“I couldn’t let Viggo take all the credit,” Farrell joked. the hollywood reporter Thursday night at the premiere of the film directed by Ron Howard. “Maybe I have Viggo to blame for that decision, but, you know, he needed a pound. If Vigo enters, I enter”.

Easier said than done.

thirteen lives, now in select MGM/UA theaters ahead of its global premiere on Prime Video on August 5, tells the story of an unprecedented global effort to rescue a Thai football team after they were trapped in a Tham Luang cave during a sudden rain. A team of the world’s most experienced divers mobilized alongside Thai forces and over 10,000 volunteers in a harrowing attempt to rescue the twelve boys and their trainer. Howard was adapted from a screenplay by William Nicholson, based on a story by Nicholson and Don McPherson.

Farrell plays one of the divers, alongside John Volanten, Mortensen, Joel Edgerton, Paul Gleeson, Tom Bateman and others in a role that was not only physically demanding but also mentally demanding, and they received intense diving training to prepare for that. . for real navigation.

“I had some panicky moments underwater where I had to say to myself, ‘Calm down.’ keep calm you’re fine There’s nothing to worry about. Your tank is fine, it is 60% full. Simply slow your breathing. It’s okay,” Farrell recalls of the terrifying underwater moments in the cave. “Sometimes there was no surface on you, just the ceiling, and it was incredibly stressful and incredibly uncomfortable. There was no light and wait [the crew] To get into the speakers and say the camera is rolling. But if you were underwater when “action” was called, you might not hear the speaker at full volume, so everyone is looking at each other underwater. If something happens, someone can come back and take your mask off. [pushing it sideways]. Suddenly – hello, panic attack.

depending on the weather thirteen lives The actor said of the toughest project he’s ever had to take on: “Probably because it had a mental aspect, to be honest.”

For Howard, navigating the caves became one of his biggest challenges as a director. “I’ve done a lot of work in the water and the water is quite manageable. The tight spaces are what make the movie so much more challenging than I imagined,” he explained, adding that it was a place he was able to climb thanks to the courage of his actors. “Our actors ended up doing their own dives because as soon as they learned the technique of cave diving, they came to me and said it was a special ability of the character, so they asked me if we could rearrange the show and make it happen. They do all their own work underwater. And they did. It’s a big difference for me as a director and it will be for the audience as well because there are no quick cuts. Suddenly you realize you’re looking at Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell. They are there.”

Despite the challenges, Farrell says he always tries to be grateful for his work as an actor: “I never lose sight of how lucky I am to be able to tell stories, which is essentially what I do. You know, that’s it. I live with stories and give life to heroes. I learned a little about myself, but that’s not why I do it, of course. It really is an amazing job and experience that I share with others.”

He continued, “In a world as divided as the world we share, there is a common purpose on a movie set. You don’t get in one and hear “The Hills Are Alive” [with the sound of music] They are singing. Sets can be very tense places, but the main thing is that there’s a common goal, and I’ve been lucky enough to be in films where there’s a sense of unity, and that’s amazing. “

Speaking of the incredible experience, Pharrell attended last night’s premiere with his son Henry, who was standing close to his father as he headed for the press line. “I’m proud of her as a person,” Pharrell said as they walked the red carpet together. “I’m a big fan of her, I love her so much. I have two wonderful children. I’m very, very lucky.”