Colin Farrell usually gets raves for his looks but now it is his singing voice that is wowing critics.

He does his own singing while playing a country music star in the likely Oscar contender “Crazy Heart,” and he actually steals the scene.

"No one had heard him sing until he recorded with [composer and producer] T-Bone, but we assumed if he took the role that he probably could pull it off or he wouldn't have accepted the role," “Crazy Heart” producer Judy Cairo told E! online after the film debuted in Los Angeles. "His agent didn't even know he could sing."

The indie flick is about an alcoholic country star who falls in love with a local newspaper reporter.

In one scene, Farrell and film lead Jeff Bridges sing together onstage at the Journal Pavilion in Albuquerque, N.M. "They both have great voices," Cairo said. "In fact, it was Colin's second day working with us and we brought him in and threw him onstage in front of 12,000 people and said, 'Sing!' He was a trouper. He did an amazing job."

Typically low key Farrell did not want his name on the singing credits. Farrell "also didn't want to take the spotlight off of Jeff," Cairo said.

"Obviously this is Jeff's movie and…if Colin was more in front of it, Jeff would have to share the spotlight a little bit. He wanted to give kudos and credit to Jeff."

Meanwhile Bridges looks set for an overdue Oscar for his performance. "I don't want to count any chickens," Bridges told E! online, "but it's great to get these good reviews we've been getting. This film doesn't have the millions of dollars to spend on promotions, so it's great that we're getting the film out there.”