That could be surprising to anyone who knows him from his star-making roles in such distinctly American films as 2002's "Minority Report" and "Phone Booth" (it was a good year for him) or 2003's "S.W.A.T." He even played American antihero Jesse James in the 2001 film "American Outlaws."

But every so often he goes back to his roots to play a very Irish character in a very Irish film. Notable examples include a smallish part in the true-life film "Veronica Guerin" about a slain Irish journalist, and most recently the surprise hit 2008 crime comedy "In Bruges."

In that one he played a failed Irish hit man and won a best-actor Golden Globe for his trouble.

Indeed, his dedication to the film biz in his home country is such that, of the seven films he currently has coming down the pipe, four are in one way or another Irish -- either being filmed there or based on books by Irish writers.

If you're really a fan of his Irish accent you'll be pleased to hear that one of those upcoming films is "At Swim-Two-Birds," which rumour has it will star Farrell and three fellow Irish movie stars: Jonathan Rhys Meyers (star of the hit series "The Tudors"), Cillian Murphy (who played Scarecrow in the two new Batman movies) and Irish acting icon Gabriel Byrne (who now stars in the HBO series "In Treatment").

It's interesting that you mention Farrell's TV work; despite having gotten his start as a TV star -- in the British series "Ballykissangel" -- Farrell has shied away from the small screen. In fact, the "Scrubs" episode you mention -- "My Lucky Charm," in which Farrell played a self-appointed Irish philosopher who is injured in a bar fight -- is his only appearance on an American TV series. The 2005 spot was also the first, and last, he did since leaving "Ballykissangel" for a career in the movies.