Colin Farrell has revealed that he drew on his past experiences for his role in the second season of True Detective.
He plays corrupt cop Ray Velcoro in the crime drama, who the actor described as "a bit of a burnout, really".
The Irish actor quipped that he had "dug deep into... [his] not-so-distant past" to take on the role while speaking at the Maui Film Festival.
When asked about his "recent past" and how he's doing with his recovery, Farrell replied: "I’m good, man. I was at the party long enough. I was the party long enough. For me…. I’m very glad to be alive.
"Honestly, it’s everything for a reason. For me, it’s been a lot of this through the years, and I’ve been just blessed to have the journey through it I’ve had to this point. There’s no anger or regrets or ‘I wish this was different or that was different.’ It’s all good."
According to Variety, Farrell said of his on-screen character: "He’s somebody who like many of us in life is wrestling with events that took place in his past, and is trying to move forward from them, but trapped in this continual cycle of behaviour he can’t get out of. I think fundamentally he’s a good man that made some very bad choices."
He also opened up about the second season of the series, saying: "Oh, God, it was such good writing… it's extraordinary stuff.
"Aesthetically, it’s very different. There are four main characters, as opposed to the two-character structure that’s in the first piece. But it’s a lot of the same sensibilities, and a lot of the characters are struggling with the same kind of existential quandaries and questions that are related to meaning and purpose and the burying of the darkness that may be in your past."
True Detective season two, which also stars Vince Vaughn and Rachel McAdams, will debut on Monday, June 22 on HBO, and Sky Atlantic.
