Colin Farrell had a bizarre fan encounter on Jimmy Kimmel — we still can’t tell if it was real or staged
Jimmy Kimmel, who has been hosting his late-night talk show for over 20 years, has had many memorable moments, like when he defended Ivanka Trump from Andy Dick. One surprising moment on his show involved Colin Farrell which left viewers wondering if it was real or staged. After 'Tigerland' was released in 2000, Farrell became a big name in Hollywood. While he never reached the same level of fame as stars like Tom Cruise, Farrell has stayed active in the industry for more than two decades.
Like most celebrity interviews, Farrell’s appearances on talk shows are usually predictable. He exchanges small talk, tells an anecdote, promotes his project, and then wraps things up. But when Farrell appeared on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' in 2017, things went off-script in a big way. As Farrell walked out on stage, Kimmel greeted him, asking, "How are you doing?" Farrell replied, "I'm good," and settled into his chair. But moments later, something unexpected happened. An arm suddenly appeared in the frame, and another camera angle showed a fan rushing toward Farrell. The fan leaned in close, and it looked like he might be trying to kiss him. However, after looking closely, it seemed more like the fan was attempting to smell Farrell's neck, as reported by Digital Spy.
The situation became more chaotic when Guillermo Rodriguez quickly grabbed the fan by his shirt and threw him out through a side door. By that point, Kimmel stood up, seemingly ready to intervene, but Guillermo acted first. Most celebrities would have stayed in their seat during a moment like this. But Farrell stood up and walked toward the fan as he was being dragged away. Farrell’s expression made it seem like he was ready to fight. Because of how unusual the situation was, many fans questioned if it was real or staged. One reason for this suspicion is Kimmel’s history of pranks. Over the years, Kimmel has changed a lot, he’s lost weight and now focuses more on politics, but his love for pranking people has remained the same. He’s pulled tricks on stars like John Krasinski and has even deceived his audience before.
The way the fan behaved also raised questions. Despite trying hard to get close to Farrell, the fan didn’t resist Guillermo dragging them away. That made people wonder why someone so determined to reach Farrell didn’t put up a fight. Another reason fans doubted the authenticity of the event is that there were no reports about the fan being arrested or facing charges afterward. While it’s unclear if the moment was staged, there’s one reason to believe it wasn’t. In 2013, a viral video showed a woman twerking, falling into candles, and catching on fire. After the video spread widely, Kimmel revealed it was a prank.
If the fan rushing Farrell was another prank, Kimmel would likely have revealed it by now. Instead, there’s no official footage of the incident on Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s YouTube channel. The clips that still exist are ones fans uploaded to YouTube or DailyMotion, as reported by The Things. Regardless of whether it was real or fake, the incident was wild. It also reminded fans of Farrell’s reputation when he first became famous. Back then, he was known as a hard-drinking Hollywood bad-boy. Even though Farrell seems calmer today, his reaction during the fan incident, standing up and confronting the situation, fits the image of someone who doesn’t back down.
