MANILA, Philippines — Showrunners of the HBO Original limited series “The Penguin” revealed that lead star Colin Farrell himself served as an inspiration for the creation of the show.
Farrell’s portrayal of Oz Cobb, also known as The Penguin, first captivated audiences when he was introduced in Warner Bros. Pictures’ 2020 global blockbuster “The Batman” starring Robert Pattinson. But in the DC Studios series, which continues Matt Reeves’ epic crime saga, viewers will see a much deeper dive into the psyche of this iconic villain.
The show, executive-produced by Reeves, Farrell, Dylan Clark and Lauren LeFranc (who also writes and serves as showrunner) explores not just the crime-filled ambition of Oz, but also the deeply rooted weaknesses and emotional scars that drive The Penguin’s villainy.
During a virtual interview with the international press, including The STAR, LeFranc recalled Colin’s first reaction when this series was first pitched to him: “I first met him on a Zoom. He was shooting ‘The Banshees of Inisherin,’ and so he was in Ireland at the time when we first met, and I pitched him just the backstory for Oz and the whole character arc, which is really what we have shot and what is in our show.
“He was part of the inspiration to do this. When he was on the set of ‘The Batman,’ he went up to Matt Reeves and Dylan Clark, the producer, and said, ‘I would love to do more. Like, I really am inspired to be inside of this very twisted man,’” she added.
Besides Farrell, the eight-episode “The Penguin” also stars Cristin Milioti (Sofia Falcone), Rhenzy Feliz (Victor Aguilar), Michael Kelly (Johnny Viti), Shohreh Aghdashloo (Nadia Maroni), Deirdre O’Connell (Francis Cobb), Clancy Brown (Salvatore Maroni), James Madio (Milos Grapa), Scott Cohen (Luca Falcone), Michael Zegen (Alberto Falcone), Carmen Ejogo (Eve Karlo) and Theo Rossi (Dr. Julian Rush).
Asked how LeFranc approached a character who’s always been a villain but gets to be the protagonist of his own story, she said, “I’ve come from an angle of trying to depict him as just a complicated, dark soul of a person and to make sure that he doesn’t feel like there’s any definitive heroes or villains on the show.
“They’re just complicated, sometimes problematic people. So for me, I start by asking myself questions about who this man is, what drives him, what motivates him, and why he wants power. So much of it is built on his relationship with his mother and wanting to make her proud of him. And he wants reverence. He wants respect from the larger community and those people,” she said.
“He’s also a narcissist. His worldview is very specific and a little tainted. As we dig deeper into him and we unravel him throughout the course of episodes, we’ll get to dig deeper into his psychology and start to unpack more of who this man really is.”
The Irish actor’s transformation into the Penguin wasn’t just a matter of makeup and prosthetics — it was a full-body transformation. His entire demeanor changed once he donned the prosthetics. ‘Colin Farrell is an incredibly handsome man — suddenly freed him of his physicality. It was like he was born in that moment,’ executive producer Reeves says.
Reeves further said in a separate Zoom chat that the series doesn’t merely track the Penguin’s rise to power but also goes into his internal struggles. “This story is not just a narrative about how he begins that path toward becoming the kingpin we all know the Penguin becomes, but it’s really about the internal parts of that character — who he is, what kind of rage, what kind of wounds, what void he needs to fill that will never be filled.
“He’s always going to be unhappy. He’s always going to be angry. He’s always going to be just raging, no matter what. And that was our intent — to look at how this kind of crime story is really about the internal.”
For him, this exploration of Penguin’s complexity, where his villainy is not just about power and ambition that knows no bounds but also about deep emotional wounds, is part of what makes this series unique.
“So, in a way, the most illuminating part of this guy grabbing for power is the weakness within. That’s what we tried to do — tell the story of where those weaknesses are, where they came from, and what that’s about, and the tragedy of that as well,” said Reeves.
Meanwhile, Farrell’s performance has been hailed by the showrunners as transformative, both physically and psychologically. The Penguin, who debuted in “The Batman,” was already a scene-stealer and larger-than-life character despite only appearing in seven scenes. He was a gangster chasing the American dream with ambitions of power and reverence.
But in the series version, viewers will get into more of Oz’s emotional and psychological goals.
“We have the ability to take that character and do a real long-form, detailed exploration that helps us get people excited. But on the flip side, we have to do it justice — we have to do a real emotional, truthful and authentic exploration of characters that exist in this world,” said Dylan.
“We wanted the story — and we tried to do that in ‘The Batman,’ too — to be told with empathy. The show only works if there’s insight. This guy is going to do unspeakable things. Why? The potential for that darkness is in all of us. It’s just that in his case, the wounds are so deep that he can’t stop himself, and he goes further than he should.
“The opportunity to do this on HBO or streaming in a long form allows us to dig into the whys and explore the psychology. That’s what we were excited to do.”
Clark particularly praised Farrell’s dedication, calling the actor “an absolute force of nature” since assuming the character in “The Batman.” He believes his portrayal of the Penguin could elevate the character to the same iconic status as other Batman villains like Heath Ledger or Todd Phillips’ Joker.
“I believe he occupies that kind of place because his performance is that special… It certainly comes from what Lauren did in writing the show, but Colin Farrell played this character so beautifully and powerfully that I think he’s carved out a space where this character will be seen in a way that’s never been seen before,” he said.
“Colin’s performance, as many have been saying, is amazing. His transformation into the Penguin took more than anybody can imagine — not only the prosthetics and makeup but also his voice and accent changed.”
Photos courtesy of HBO GO
In “The Batman,” Farrell worked closely with Reeves and makeup artist Mike Marino to create a character that was more than just a crime boss. Once the makeup and prosthetics were in place, Farrell sent a video to the showrunners.
“Matt and I received a cell phone video from Colin once he was in that makeup, and it was a character we hadn’t quite seen before. The voice, the posture, the body language — all changed,” Clark said.
“What was great about Colin was that he fell so madly in love with that character exploration, but he didn’t get enough to do in our movie. Matt had some great ideas for a sequel, and if we were lucky enough to have a movie people wanted to see, he wanted to keep going. And so, the show idea was hatched.”
Reeves, for his part, said that “there’s been a crazy evolution” with Farrell from moment he said “okay, I’ll go on this journey with you.”
His transformation into the Penguin wasn’t just a matter of makeup and prosthetics — it was a full-body transformation. His entire demeanor changed once he donned the prosthetics.
“The experience of him putting that makeup on — Colin Farrell is an incredibly handsome man — suddenly freed him of his physicality. It was like he was born in that moment,” Reeves said.
“When Dylan talks about that video we received, the character, as you see him in the show and as you saw him in the movie, was born in that moment. Something clicked into place. It went from Colin saying, ‘I should play the character,’ to him asking us, ‘Can you put me in more scenes? Can you write me more scenes? I want to do this more,’ because something in him was unleashed. It’s a weird experience.”
The transformation was so complete that Reeves admitted he feels like he knows Oz more than Farrell himself. “It’s a weird experience. It takes so long for Colin to get into the makeup that I feel like I know Oz more than I know Colin.”
Ultimately, the combined efforts of everyone involved have shaped “The Penguin” into a multifaceted character that goes beyond mere villainy. “Colin as Oz is another presence that’s really extraordinary,” Reeves said.
“The Penguin” is available on HBO and HBO GO, with new episodes of the eight-episode series airing every Monday.
Be the first to comment