Colin Farrell explains how son with Angelman Sydnrome has 'fuelled his sobriety'

Colin Farrell has told how his son has played a big part in his sobriety journey.

The actor's son James, 21, has Angelman syndrome; a diagnosis the actor attributes to helping him get sober.

"James was 2 when I got sober," the 48-year-old told the Daily Mail. "Part of the fuel that I used to get off alcohol and drugs and all that stuff was knowing he had health issues. All children need their parents - or a parent or grandparent or somebody - to care for them. One of the things James taught me was to access within myself a desire to live, even if it was initially more about me thinking I wanted to live to be around for him."

The Total Recall star admitted that before he stopped drinking, he could get through around three bottles of Jack Daniels, 12 bottles of red wine and 60 pints of beer a week.

Two years ago, Farrell, who is also dad to 15-year-old Henry, spoke about how he believed sobriety was his "legacy," and that he was "stopping what has been a generational issue in (his) biological family."

He told Variety magazine how "generations of people have had their lives ruled and ruined by alcoholism and drug addiction. For me, sobriety first. Always."

Colin first went to rehab in 2005 and returned in 2018, with sources telling People at the time that "he's been sober 12 years and wanted to do this to make sure he stays that way. He's taking some me-time and doing a tune-up and a reset. This was all his idea."

Angelman syndrome is a rare neurogenetic disorder. It affects the nervous system and causes developmental and intellectual disabilities.