Colin Farrell: Singing effort was tragic

Colin Farrell has called his dream to be in a boyband "tragic".

The Irish heartthrob tried his hand at a singing career before he turned attention to acting.

After being talent spotted in club after busting some moves, Colin belted out a George Michael classic to impress music moguls - but his hopes were soon shattered.

"I was nearly [in a boyband]. I tried to be. How tragic is that? You can't even sl*g me for being in a boyband. You can sl*g me for trying and failing to be in a boy band," he laughed to the New York Daily News' Confidenti@l column.

"I was 17. I hadn't finished high school. I was dancing at a nightclub and Louis Walsh, the Irish Simon Cowell, came up to me and said, 'I'm going to get this band together. Want to come along and sing?' I said, 'Sure, whatever.' I sang Careless Whisper twice and he said, 'It's not going to work out.'"

The music industry's loss was Hollywood's gain, and the 37-year-old has gone on to star in big budget films such as Phone Booth and Total Recall.

He fought a public battle with drink and drugs after becoming a regular on the party scene. Since having children though, the Irish charmer has calmed down his raucous ways.

"What defines a miracle? Does it have to be a supernatural act that defies the laws of physics? I do believe in things happening every day that seem highly improbable and also wonderful at the same time.

"Sunrises, sunsets, nature, blades of grass growing between slabs of concrete on city streets like New York and surviving a thousand footsteps going past it, that's kind of a miracle. I know it sounds cheesy, but I consider my kids a miracle," he added philosophically.