Colin Farrell says he’s thankful for the early diagnosis of his 4-year-old son’s neuro-genetic disorder and for the vast joy his “little fella” experiences.

“He’s nothing but a gift,” Farrell, 31, said about son James on the Irish interview show Tubridy Tonight. With paternal pride he said: “As far as I’m concerned he’s exactly the way he should be.”

Though he was on TV to promote his latest movie, In Bruges, Farrell addressed the topic of James, whose Angelman Syndrome was revealed publicly last year.

“Angelman’s is a neuro-genetic disorder,” he explained. “The 15th chromosome is dormant. It affects their fine motor skills. They say that one in 30,000 children is affected by it.”

According to his father, before James had celebrated his first birthday, he was showing signs of illness, which led to an early diagnosis for the boy.

“I’ve been very lucky that it was early because he started having seizures at about eight or nine months,” said Farrell. Initially doctors thought James had cerebral palsy but soon he was diagnosed correctly and “we got early intervention,” said the Irish actor.

The genetic disorder, which can impair speech, movement and balance meant that James walked his first few steps last fall, when he was 4. “It’s just different,” said the actor. “It’s not different to me. He has his own path. He’s just brilliant.”

Farrell shares custody of his son with the boy’s mother, model Kim Bordenave. He said he decided to go public about his son’s health after people started asking questions about his involvement with the Special Olympics.

“I didn’t talk about my son [but] I felt like I was betraying him, like it could be misconstrued as shame, which would be terrible, because he’s such a celebration,” says Farrell.

Questioning the concept of “normal,” Farrell says his son is happier than so many people in the world. “I look around and I see people who move perfectly, who walk with grace, who speak with great diction and clarity and a great use of the English language and we’re all miserable f—ers – including me, at times.”

“And then I see this fella who doesn’t move the way what’s perceived to be ‘normal’ is, and he’s as happy as can be.”

YourMovieStuff.com is reporting about Colin Farrell’s statements regarding helping to finish Heath Ledger’s last movie, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Colin Farrell is proud to be a part of Heath Ledger’s final film, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, which was unfinished when Ledger died last month.

“I will be honored to be part of that,” the actor told the Herald Sun.

Farrell, Jude Law and Johnny Depp will split what remains of Ledger’s role.

“It makes me feel uncomfortable to think about it too much and to get into it really here but it’s an incredibly painful honor to have, you know, and an honor I wish wasn’t bestowed but an honor none-the-less,” Farrell said.

“It’s about getting Heath’s work out there, get his work out there, he’s too good for any of his work not to be seen, you know, and I’m really keen and looking forward to doing it and just doing the best job I can do,” the actor added.

Ledger, 28, died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs on Jan. 22.