Actor Colin Farrell has revealed his close friendship with Elizabeth Taylor in the last few years of her life is the only recent "romantic relationship" he has had.

The Irish hunk struck up an unlikely relationship with the legendary movie star in 2009, when they both found themselves at Los Angeles hospital Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at the same time.

Farrell, who was there to welcome the birth of his second son, Henry, found out Taylor was also in hospital to have heart surgery. He asked her manager to send his regards to Taylor and a few days later, he received flowers and a handwritten note from the actress.

From that point on, the two bonded and spent many nights talking on the phone into the early morning.

He tells U.S. chat show host Ellen DeGeneres, "That was the beginning of a year and a half or two years of what was - it was kind of like the last, it feels like in my head - not her, I'm projecting - but the last kind of romantic relationship I had. Which was never consummated... She wouldn't mind me speaking about this.

"She wasn't much of a sleeper at night, like I'm not. I'd call her at two in the morning and we'd talk for a half an hour, an hour into the wee hours. Really cool."

Farrell continues his praises of Taylor and even jokes that he would have been happy to become her eighth husband.

He adds, "I just adored her. She was a spectacular, spectacular woman. I wanted to be number eight but we ran out of road."

Taylor passed away in 2011 of congestive heart failure and Farrell was one of the only non-family members present at her funeral. He even recited a poem during the service.