Colin Farrell looks unrecognisable with long dirty hair and an overgrown bushy beard in new drama

Colin Farrell looks unrecognisable with long dirty hair and an overgrown bushy beard as a whale harpooner in stills from gritty Arctic drama The North Water


Stills from the new BBC drama The North Water tease Colin Farrell in his latest role – and all signs of Hollywood glam have truly vanished.

The Irish actor, 45, is seen in the gritty series – which is set to air in the autumn – sporting a thick beard, his lock dark locks looking grimy.

The get-up is a far cry from Colin’s usual red carpet look.

Gritty: Stills from the new BBC drama The North Water tease Colin Farrell in his latest role – and all signs of Hollywood glam have truly vanished

In scenes on the boat, he’s seen puffing a cigar, his face smeared with coal, his hand wrapped in a grimy bandage.

The Miami Vice star plays Drax – a whale harpooner.

He wears a black winter coat and a scarf for scenes that were shot in the Arctic, north of the Svalbard Archipelago, known for its freezing climes.

Those working on the show sailed 81 degrees north, filming on the pack ice. This is said to be the furthest point north a drama series has ever shot before. 

Worlds apart: The Irish actor, 45, is seen in the gritty series - which is set to air in the autumn - sporting a thick beard, his lock dark locks looking grimy

Usual look: The get-up is a far cry from Colin's usual red carpet look [pictured 2018]

Worlds apart: The Irish actor, 45, is seen in the gritty series – which is set to air in the autumn – sporting a thick beard, his lock dark locks looking grimy. The get-up is a far cry from Colin’s usual red carpet look [pictured R in 2018]

Cold as ice: In scenes on the boat, he's seen puffing a cigar, his face smeared with coal, his hand wrapped in a grimy bandage. The Miami Vice star plays Drax - a whale harpooner

Cold as ice: In scenes on the boat, he’s seen puffing a cigar, his face smeared with coal, his hand wrapped in a grimy bandage. The Miami Vice star plays Drax – a whale harpooner

The series is also set in Hull and takes place in the late 1850s.

It is an adaptation of Ian McGuire’s novel of the same name. 

It features five episodes, and follows Patrick Sumner, an ex-army surgeon who signs up as ship’s doctor on a whaling expedition, after being kicked out of the forces.

Jack O’Connell plays Patrick, who finds himself embroiled in tension with Drax. Line Of Duty’s Stephen Graham also stars, fresh from his latest role opposite Sean Bean in Time.

Things get tense between the men on the expedition as they find themselves further and further from dry land, and civilisation.

Usual look: Colin is pictured at the premiere for Widows at the Toronto International Film Festival three years ago

Usual look: Colin is pictured at the premiere for Widows at the Toronto International Film Festival three years ago

Cast: The North Water stars Jack O'Connell as Patrick, who finds himself embroiled in tension with Drax. Line Of Duty's Stephen Graham also stars, fresh from his latest role opposite Sean Bean in Time

Cast: The North Water stars Jack O’Connell as Patrick, who finds himself embroiled in tension with Drax. Line Of Duty’s Stephen Graham also stars, fresh from his latest role opposite Sean Bean in Time

Tom Courtenay, Peter Mullan, Sam Spruell and Roland Møller also star.

Colin completed filming The North Water last year. The show began production in October 2019 through March 2020, when the pandemic halted shooting despite nearly wrapping.

The rest of the series was picked up later and shot on a sound stage in the UK.

Feeling the chill: Those working on the show sailed 81 degrees north, filming on the pack ice. This is said to be the furthest point north a drama series has ever shot before

Feeling the chill: Those working on the show sailed 81 degrees north, filming on the pack ice. This is said to be the furthest point north a drama series has ever shot before

Colin will also star in The Batman, which he was spotted shooting scenes for recently in Glasgow, with Robert Pattinson.

Colin will play notorious super villain The Penguin for the film, which was also delayed in production. 

It was first slated for a June 2021 release but will now hit cinemas in March 2022. 

The North Water will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer this autumn.