Last September a homeless alcoholic who goes by the name of Stress was walking past Toronto's InterContinental Hotel after having spent the night on the steps of a church when out popped overly good-looking Irishman Colin Farrell, who was in town to promote In Bruges at the city's annual Film Festival. Next thing Stress knew, he was tooling around town in the back of the actor's limo while Farrell treated him to a $3000 shopping spree and an anti-addiction pep talk.

"You need to get your life together, man, promise me," Farrell told him. "And make sure you go see my new movie." A year later, the Toronto Sun catches up with Stress to see if he kept his promise:

Today, Stress is clean and sober, has a comfy bachelor pad, goes to church and the Y and darts around town on a mountain bike.



He's even taken up yoga.



"Colin Farrell saved my life," he says.