Follow us on Google News

Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed

Most people, born in or after the 1970s, have grown up watching the films of Steven Spielberg. As a definitive storyteller and the most influential director in Hollywood, Spielberg has unbridled access to the fantasies and imaginations of children and adults alike through films likeJaws,Indiana Jones,Jurassic Park, andE.T.But even legends of such great standing can sometimes have a peevish trait.

Steven Spielberg with Tom Cruise on War of the Worlds [Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures]

Colin Farrell, on his part, has no qualms about putting up with the extreme likes and dislikes of legendary men like Spielberg as long as he earns a memorable experience out of it. The actor, who has been at the heart of an incredulous Hollywood controversy (re: Elizabeth Taylor) and headlined some of the best films and television projects, reveals what it means to meet one’s childhood hero.

Colin Farrell & Steven Spielberg Bond Over Sardines

A sardine sandwich can be the ultimate deal-breaker for some relationships – or so believesColin Farrell; and, on his first meeting withSteven Spielberg, theBanshees of Inisherinstar made sure to let the director know of his reservations against fish on toast. Despite this memorable first encounter, both actor and director bonded over lunch – an experience that Farrell remembers vividly to this day.

In an interview withJimmy Fallon,The Penguinactor revealed:

Meeting Steven Spielberg for the first time… I was 23 or 24. He did a film called Minority Report about 20 years ago. And I met him. He was shooting something else. I was told, “Just sit in the trailer. Go out to this studio on this day. He wants to meet you maybe for a part in a film with Tom Cruise,” and I thought, “Jesus!”

So I went out and I sat in the trailer and then the door opened, and in walked [Steven Spielberg]… with a plate and two sardine sandwiches on the plate. Random. Kind of charming […]

Tom Cruise and Colin Farrell in Minority Report (2002) [Credit: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks]

I sat down with Spielberg for 20 minutes… and he gave me 50% of his lunch. He had two pieces of toast with sardines squashed onto them. And I ate a sardine sandwich, and he ate a sardine sandwich. And we both left his trailer smelling like sh*t, but I got the job. I got a job and a sardine sandwich out of it.

Minority Report’s Ending Just Became 10 Times Creepier – What If Tom Cruise is Living in a Halo Dreaming While Precog Program Continues to Run

Afterward, Farrell landed a role inMinority Reportalongside the inimitableTom Cruisein Spielberg’s $358 million film. His part as Danny Witwer, a DoJ agent tasked with hunting Cruise’s character down, washeavily laudedas “outstanding,” a “genuinely threatening adversary,” and a “quicksilver talent.”

Colin Farrell Sets Out on a Mission to Rescue DC

The quicksilver talent that caught the eye of Steven Spielberg shortly after making his Hollywood debut has now risen to the ranks of Hollywood’s prime A-listers. Colin Farrell has moved past the indies and the blockbusters and the sci-fi action thrillers. The Irish star now dives into alien territory with his Apple TV+ seriesSugarand experiences the taste of superhero cinema with the neo-noir DC blockbuster,The Batman.

After establishing a formidable presence alongsideRobert Pattinson‘s titular hero in the 2022 film, Warner Bros. rightly options a solo spin-off series based on his character as Oswald Cobblepot, the rogues gallery villain who has haunted the crime-infested streets of Gotham for the past 83 years ever since his first appearance inDetective Comics #58on December 1941.

Minority Report’s Ending Just Became 10 Times Creepier – What If Tom Cruise is Living in a Halo Dreaming While Precog Program Continues to Run

Colin Farrell’s “Hard-R” Promise for The Penguin is the Only Thing That Can Save James Gunn’s DCU Now

Now, Farrell brings the promise of a comic book renaissance withThe Penguinas the R-rated HBO series can finally break the audience of their Superhero fatigue and ensure DC’s survival in the long run.

The Penguinpremieres on Max on 03 July 2025.

Minority Reportis available to stream on Paramount+.

Diya Majumdar

Senior Writer

Articles Published :2407

Diya Majumdar is a Senior Content Writer at FandomWire with over 2000 published articles on the website. Since 2022, she has been working as an entertainment journalist with a special focus on films and pop culture.Among the countless genres and themes of Hollywood, the ones that particularly favor Diya’s tastes include Game of Thrones, DC, and well-aged thrillers and classics.

More from Diya Majumdar

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein First Look Photos Decoded: Is it the Darkest Netflix Film Yet?

Kevin Costner and Jake Gyllenhaal Go On a Honeymoon in Crazy Stupid Love Directors’ New Movie

The Thursday Murder Club: Richard Osman’s Book Order Explained Before Netflix Film Release

Perfect Match Season 3: How Did Ollie Propose to AD?

Severance Season 3: Why Isn’t Ben Stiller Directing? Details Inside

Timo Tjahjanto Shades Keanu Reeves Film: Why is Nobody 2 Not a Desperate John Wick Ripoff?

Why Is Sharon Stone Dissing Basic Instinct Reboot Despite Years of Clout? Details Inside

Anya Taylor-Joy and Meryl Streep Circling Same Role In Cameron Crowe’s Next Big Bet: Reports

What Did Justin Baldoni Say to Isabela Ferrer? Alarming Revelation in Blake Lively’s Lawsuit

Colin FarrellSteven SpielbergTom Cruise

Colin Farrell in The Penguin [Credit: HBO]

Colin Farrell’s “Hard-R” Promise for The Penguin is the Only Thing That Can Save James Gunn’s DCU Now