Colin Farrell opens up about son with Angelman syndrome: ‘We still struggle’

In a new interview, Colin Farrell opened up about his son who has a rare neurological condition called Angelman syndrome, and announced that he is launching a foundation to support people with intellectual disabilities.

Farrell's son, James, who is now 20 years old, was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome when he was a two and a half years old, the Irish actor said in an exclusive interview with People Magazine released on Wednesday. He said his son was previously misdiagnosed with cerebral palsy, which shares many of the same characteristics.

This is the first time Farrell has spoken about his son and his son's condition, the actor told People, adding that "the only reason I'm speaking is I can't ask James if he wants to".

The actor elaborated: "I mean, I can. I speak to James as if he's 20 and [he] has perfect fluency with the English language and age-appropriate cognitive ability. But I can't discern a particular answer from him as to whether he's comfortable with all this or not, so I have to make a call based on knowing James's spirit and what kind of young man he is and the goodness that he has in his heart."

Angelman is a seizure condition, Farrell said, adding that the seizures are "one of the things that parents struggle with greatly".

"Thankfully, James hasn't had a breakthrough seizure now in about 10 or 11 years, but I've been in the back of ambulances, I've been in the hospital with him," Farrell said.

In the interview, Farrell said that many families struggle with finding support and help when it comes to caring for their child with intellectual disabilities, especially as in some states across the country, many social supports that exist end when they reach 21.