Colin Farrell has joked he gets high by sniffing flowers nowadays.

The Irish actor used to be famed for his wild lifestyle, which included regularly being seen partying and filming a sex tape.

He eventually checked into rehab to be treated for prescription and recreational drug use. He is clean and sober now, having also chosen to give up alcohol. The star is proud of the way he's turned his life around.

"To be treated for that sh*t was one of the best decisions in my life. Before my rehab everything was so messed up," he told German magazine In, before being asked what he uses to get high now. "The scent of a flower! I used to hit the bottle whenever I felt overwhelmed, now I sniff on flowers."

Colin is father to James, eight, and two-year-old Henry. He's sure he is a good father, although perhaps not in the conventional way. The 35-year-old thinks he's done a good job of showing his sons the pitfalls they should avoid in life.

"I'm a good role model to them because I show them how a young man definitely should not behave," he laughed. "I got kicked out of school, drank way too much and really I've done every bad thing you could imagine. I do hope my kids will do it better one day."