Colin Farrell's body went into "survival mode" while filming 'The North Water'.
The 45-year-old actor plays harpooner Henry Drax in the upcoming five-part whale hunting drama and he was so dedicated to the role, he mimicked his character and refused to wear gloves in the harsh Arctic climate, leaving his hands bleeding and the icy winds taking a toll on his physical condition as his body began to shut down.
He said: “Physiologically, my body was responding to the temperatures in a particular way - it was constantly in survival mode.
“I never slept better in my life. It was as hard as film work can be. We were telling a very ugly story in a very beautiful place.”
And Colin admitted filming in the Arctic meant he couldn't get himself out of character in between scenes and described shooting the drama - which is based on a 2016 novel of the same name by Ian McGuire - as "life changing".
He told Radio Times magazine: “I was constantly inhabiting this physical space that was very difficult and unusual - it was life changing."
The actor admitted he'll remember the shoot forever.
He added: “It was one of those experiences where you go through the fire enough with people that you know if you see them in 10 or 30 years, I know it sounds almost twee or over romanticised, but if you see them across the room, you’ll look, and in that look you’ll share the acknowledgement that you went through an experience that was really significant, really profound and really changed you.
“Without hesitation I would say this is one of those very few rare experiences.
“The vastness and beauty of it, the silence up there. There was this emptiness and loneliness to the place that was very beautiful and honest. It wasn’t the kind of loneliness we experience in cities, when we’re around people and feel lonely. It was like man’s insignificance in the face of the brutality of nature.”
