Colin Farrell Reveals How He & Elizabeth Taylor Became Friends & How She Had Him ‘Sweating Bricks’ At Her Funeral

Colin Farrell was one of the few outsiders who joined the family at the private funeral of screen legend Elizabeth Taylor last week, and the Irish actor revealed to Access Hollywood how he and the Dame met – and grew close in the latter part of her life.

“How did we become friends? You know, the old story of boy meets girl, and boy pesters girl with too many phone calls at inappropriate hours of the night,” Colin told Access Hollywood at CinemaCon 2011 in Las Vegas on Tuesday, recalling his memories of meeting the two-time Oscar winner, who died last week at the age of 79 of congestive heart failure.

Elizabeth first revealed the pair’s friendship earlier this year in an interview for the March issue of Harper’s Bazaar magazine, conducted by Kim Kardashian. At the time Dame Elizabeth told the young celebutante, “I love Johnny Depp, and I love Colin Farrell – both brilliant, nuanced actors with great range.”

On Tuesday, Colin told Access he was honored to have known the “Cleopatra” star.

“I was just lucky enough to become her friend in the last year and a half,” he said. “I adore her… still.”

As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Colin recited Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poem, “The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo” at her funeral and he revealed it was the actress herself who picked out the material.

“Elizabeth chose it. It was a tricky poem as well,” Colin laughed. “Even in passing she had me under the thumb, sweating bricks.”

Colin said someone else passed along the “A Place in the Sun” actress’ funeral reading request, and it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“She asked someone else to ask me [to read it],” Colin explained, adding he felt, “sad and honored” when he got the call.

“I just miss her; I just miss her; I just miss her,” he added.

Elizabeth was interred at the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Parks and Mortuaries in Glendale, Calif., the same location her longtime friend Michael Jackson was laid to rest in 2009.