Colin Farrell spoke candidly about his history with drug abuse while promoting his upcoming film Ballad of a Small Player at a recent press conference. Talking about how he prepared for the role in the film, Farrell said that you need not be a drug addict in real life to play one on screen. The actor revealed that he connected with the character so much that it elevated the performance, saying that he considered the character's "internal push and pull to be a lovely place to start". Farrell also said that he has "some form of OCD," which helps him prepare well for his roles because of the kind of obsession that comes with it.

Ballad of a Small Player is slated to hit a limited number of theatres on October 15 before its Netflix release later that month. Based on Lawrence Osborne’s eponymous novel, the feature film stars Farrell as Lord Doyle, a man with a gambling problem in Macau. Doyle finds a person with similarities to him that might just play a key role in his salvation.

Farrell said that, while preparing for the role in the film, he learnt about another type of addiction from the casinos in Macau that he is grateful not to have had. "I’m glad to say I only damaged my body and my brain, not my bank account," he said. He revealed that the material wealth that potentially comes with gambling is "fool’s gold" in relation to genuine human connection and the accompanying contentment.

Ballad of a Small Player also stars Fala Chen, Alex Jennings, Deanie Ip, and Tilda Swinton.