Colin Farrell gave up booze after he discovered his son James had special needs. Login or signup to continue reading The 48-year-old Hollywood actor became a father for the first time in 2003 when he welcomed James with model Kim Bordenave, but they were dealt a massive blow when the youngster was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome - a rare genetic disorder which involves delayed development - and Farrell decided to put his wild ways behind him and sober up for the sake of his little boy. He told PEOPLE magazine: "[I'm most grateful for] my sobriety, everything is magnified when you have a child with special needs, you're even more aware that your child really needs you around and is going to need a lot of help and a lot of support.
"So James was about two when I got clean, when I got sober and he was a big big part of me putting the bottle down, a big part of it. "Because I was in no condition to be a friend never mind the father of a child which such exacting needs. So if it wasn't for my sobriety, I wouldn't be able to be there for James and enjoy in the marvels of his life and support him in the way that I feel that can .
.. " Farrell - who also has a younger son Henry with actress Alicja Bachleda-Curus - added: "I don't want to make out like I"m the perfect dad, I f*** up left, right and centre but at least you have to be present to f*** up so I'm around, but yeah they're very conjoined - my sobriety and my children .
.. " The actor has opened up about being father to a son .