Colin Farrell speaks out on his son James' battle with a rare neurological disease and says 'nobody knows the depths of his struggles'

Colin Farrell has said that not even he fully understands his son James' struggles with a rare neurological disease.The actor's eldest son, 23, was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome when he was a toddler.The rare genetic disorder primarily affects the nervous system and causes severe physical and intellectual disability. James makes a rare appearance in the actor's upcoming documentary, The Slightest Touch, and during an interview about the film on Wednesday's episode of This Morning, Colin was asked about the special moment caught on film.Colin, 50, explained that James' appearance wasn't planned but he said that the parallels between his son's struggles and those of the subject of the documentary - his longtime friend Emma Fogarty, meant it felt obvious to include the scene in the final edit.Emma lives with the rare genetic disorder epidermolysis bullosa which causes fragile, blistering skin, which may appear in response to minor injury, even from heat, both inside and outside of the body. Colin Farrell has said that not even he fully understands his son James' struggles with the rare neurological disease Angelman syndrome James makes a rare appearance in the actor's documentary, The Slightest Touch, and during an interview about the film Colin was asked about the special moment caught on film 'I've seen up close and personal James' struggles,' Colin explained, 'and his struggles like Emma's, even though none of us, not even me as his dad, know the depths and nuance of them... his struggles are very obvious.''And if you see Emma, you see her bandages and you know instantly the person is struggling. So that, if you have any kind of empathy as a human being, that just opens you up.'Colin shares James with ex-girlfriend Kim Bordenave. The Irish actor is also father to 17-year-old son Henry from his past relationship with former Ondine co-star Alicja Bachleda-Curus. The actor gushed that both his children have opened up his heart. 'You meet people in your life and they're heart-openers,' he told Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard on This Morning.'Children do that to you, they open your heart something shocking and there's no doubt both James and Henry have done that to me.'Colin has often spoken about the impact James - who was initially misdiagnosed with cerebral palsy before Angelman syndrome - and Henry have had on him. He told the Daily Mail's Gabrielle Donnelly in 2024: 'Both my boys have taught me. I feel they've raised me more than I could ever raise them. That sounds twee but it's true. 'Whatever man I am today has a lot to do with my parents and my upbringing, sure, but it's also very much to do with what my boys have asked of me.' The Slightest Touch follows Farrell's longtime friend Emma Fogarty and her journey living with epidermolysis bullosa ever since she was diagnosed with the rare genetic disorder as a childSpeaking about James, who is non-verbal, Colin shared: 'James is incredibly strong, brave and self-willed. 'He works so hard to achieve the physical capabilities that most of us nail by the time we're two or three. But he's lovely. He's funny as f***, cheeky as anything. 'He's got a smile that would light up Manhattan - he has such a gorgeous spirit and he's loads of fun to be around.'Shortly before James turned 18, Colin and Kim filed to obtain a conservatorship of him, noting he still needed help with tasks like getting dressed and making meals. When James turned 21, Colin and Kim agreed that it was time for him to live where he could be taken care of professionally.It was his and Kim’s horror at the lack of suitable facilities that inspired him to found the Colin Farrell Foundation, an organisation dedicated to raising support for adult children with intellectual disabilities and aiding education and advocacy programmes.Colin's latest screen project is his most personal yet. His HBO documentary with friend Emma follows the pair as they take on the Dublin Marathon together.Colin pushed Emma's wheelchair for the final four kilometers, with one kilometer symbolising each decade she has lived with epidermolysis bullosa.The Slightest Touch premieres on HBO on November 25.