The Penguin cast talk about Colin Farrell’s prosthetics and Batman’s fighting tactics

The penguin made its HBO debut last week, bringing fans back to Gotham, a city that is perhaps in more turmoil than ever after the events of The Batman. The eight-part series explores the shake-ups that occur in the city’s criminal underbelly following the death of Carmine Falcone. The figure of The penguin sees the return of Colin Farrell as the titular mobster alongside a myriad of talented new faces, as Palm SpringsChristine Milioti, Starship Troopers‘ Clancy Brown and Michael Zegen of The wonderful woman Meisel.

The Penguin – aka Oz Cobb – is in a stronger position than ever to seize power in the city, but he has a lot of competition. Carmine’s son Alberto (Zegen) is slated to take over the family business, and his sister Sofia Falcone (Miliotti) has just returned to Gotham after a stint at Arkham Asylum. The penguin has received praise from critics for its narrative pacing and strong performances, particularly those of Farrell and Milioti.

Screen Rant Interviewed several cast members and creatives at the show’s world premiere in New York City, including Colin Farrell, Cristin Miliotti, Clancy Brown and many others who helped bring The penguin Too early.

How Colin Farrell views comparisons of The Penguin to other mobsters

The actor brought his own story to the character of Oz Cobb

Screen Rant: Your character is compared a lot to a lot of other really famous mob characters like Tony Soprano or characters like Walter White. How do you feel about the comparisons, and how do you feel your image sets Cobb apart from that?

Colin Farrell: They’re nothing but compliments. I still have Breaking Bad as the beautiful unicorn of television to see once, and I know as much as I can know anything – I really know nothing about it. I would love it, but I haven’t seen it.

But their work, Bryan Cranston, is extraordinary, and Jimmy Gandolfini, God bless him, was just an unbelievably brilliant actor. I know Sopranos really changed the face of television forever, so these kinds of comparisons are nothing but compliments.

Oh, I don’t know how he is different from them; He was designed by Lauren LeFranc and her team of writers. As far as I’m concerned, a very unique character, because you bring your own story, you bring your own story and your own imagination to what’s on the table. While there were genre tropes that followed, and a relationship with the mom we’ve seen versions of before, A Rise to Power isn’t exactly a unique pitch. I mean, we’ve seen that how many times? But that’s how you write something. It’s the actors you get involved, it’s the costume department, it’s the production design that created this version of Gotham that we haven’t seen as much in the film.

All the components, an extraordinary crew in New York, props department, Joey [Spano]All the people who are together are what will make it unique – if it is unique – for the audience to watch.

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Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone will go places “no one sees coming” at the Penguin

Screen Rant: I’ve only seen the first episode, but I really came away from it knowing so much more about your character and what she’s capable of, and it’s really because of the complex way you portray her. Can you give fans any insight into the different sides of Sofia they’ll see this season, and what it’s been like playing a character who can go anywhere?

Cristin Milioti: It’s been a dream playing such a multifaceted person, and playing a villain, and what I hope is that she goes to places that no one sees coming. That’s what I think. Sorry, I know that sounds cryptic, but they are unexpected.

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Clancy Brown’s The Penguin Character isn’t afraid of anyone – especially not Batman

Define the character and how the wife of Salvatore Maroni lends to the story in an unexpected way

Screen Rant: I’d love to hear a little bit about how — this role was such a key one to take on when there was so much knowledge and a reputation that precedes you from the movie. Did you feel any kind of special type of pressure because of all the precedent that had already been set?

Clancy Brown: Yes. The precedents have been like – we have Eric Roberts and Tom Wilkinson [as Falcone]and David Zayas. They are all terrific actors and they all spin it their own way. I asked them if they wanted me to do my Eric Roberts impersonation, or my David Zaya impersonation. They said, “No, just do you,” so they let me off the hook there.

There is that mysterious air about your character; I’ve only seen the first episode of this show, so I’m curious if you can give fans — and me — any kind of insight into how much we’ll delve into the depths of Maroni’s character this season.

Clancy Brown: Not so much. The nice spin they put on it was that he married Nadia, played by Shucha [Aghdashloo]And he married into an Iranian crime family. So it is a combination of the Iranians and the Italians, which are the two great empires of the ancient world. This is what I got a kick out of – it’s adding to the lore more.

How do you think your character would act if they wound up one-on-one, face-to-face with Batman?

Clancy Brown: With Batman? He doesn’t like Batman. He doesn’t like Batman. He would have someone shoot him or something.

But one on one?

Clancy Brown: Oh yeah, he would ignore him. He wouldn’t mess with the guy. I mean, if he beat him, he would fight him. I guess he would have to fight him, and then he would knock him out, and that would be the end of it. I’m not afraid of Batman – I’m not afraid of Batman, and Maroney definitely isn’t afraid of him. Sal is not afraid of anyone.

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Rhenzy Feliz wanted Oz and Victor to be like Yin and Yang in The Penguin

How the actor tackled acting alongside such a great DC Universe character

Screen Rant: One of the things that really stood out to me – I’ve only seen the first episode – but the really funny comedic dynamic that your character has with Colin Farrell’s character, where you play the straight man to his character. Just flippant crime committing. What was it like to create that really interesting, eccentric dynamic with Colin?

Rhenzy Feliz: It was interesting. I think it is that from the beginning. But naturally, Colin – Oz – is such a great character that I think the only person who can stand next to him is someone who is – it has to be a yin and the yang. You can’t both be the thing.

I think that was one of the things that I initially understood or even wanted to bring to this character, was the idea of ​​Oz as the superior, and maybe Victor is a little more pious and just listens. Then he gets caught in some situations that lend to the comedy sometimes.

Obviously, you can’t reveal too much, but can you give any insight into whether viewers will see an evolution of your character in terms of confidence or competence over the course of the season?

Rhenzy Feliz: I think definitely, yes. I think he changes a lot over the course of the show. He is in another world. He’s in a different planet than he’s ever been in. He’s been put in different situations and circumstances than he’s ever been, and so naturally you’re going to change a lot. I think the situations that he is in force him to adopt.

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Colin Farrell’s Penguin Prosthetics had an unintended consequence on Michael Zegen

Screen Rant: I’d love to hear a little bit about what it was like filming that really intense discussion scene with Colin Farrell’s character in the first episode. I feel like your character, you did a really good job of portraying both overconfidence and uncertainty at the same time.

Michael Zegen: Yes. Well, he’s a troubled soul, he is. But beyond that, working with Colin was incredible. The scene, which is the first scene of the episode, or one of the first scenes of the episode, it’s a great scene. It was two days with Colin – just me and Colin. We shot it – it was actually the first scene we shot for the whole series, so I was nervous out of my mind.

Even in that studio, it was freezing cold. Because Colin was in all these prosthetics, and so he was really hot, and I was freezing. I’m shaking – I hope you can’t see. I haven’t seen it yet, but I hope you can’t tell. I’m really shaking.

I didn’t notice.

Michael Zegen: Good. But no, it was amazing. He was amazing to work with. He never forgot a line in the entire two days we worked together. He never dropped a single line. I dropped some, but I’m human and he apparently isn’t.

Also, just the prosthetics, getting to work with him as the penguin was so cool. Luckily he’s not a method or anything like that, so when they yelled, “cat,” he was back to being Colin. Despite the fact that he is in all the prosthetics, there is still Colin in the eyes. But yeah, he’d come up to me and be like, “Let’s run lines,” in that Irish brogue—I wasn’t doing an Irish brogue. It was amazing. The whole experience was really wonderful.

How do you feel your character would act if they were one-on-one, head-to-head with Batman?

Michael Zegen: He would lose. I mean, he’s a brother-in-law. [Laughs] Alberto’s a mess, and Batman obviously – he’s got his sh*** together. He would be ready for.

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Emily Meade’s The Penguin Character Counterpart helped her from afar

Playing the younger version of Cobb’s mother in The Penguin is no easy feat

Screen Rant: First, I’d like to hear a little bit about how closely you worked with Dede [Deirdre] O’Connell as she works out the intricacies of playing a younger version of her character.

Emily Meade: Well, we actually didn’t even get to meet before I had to put something on camera. It all happened very quickly, but she was so nice and she made recordings – because the really difficult part was the voice. Because she had to imitate a dialect that Colin basically created, and then she made it her own, and then I had to imitate her exact dialect, it was very scary, especially because it was such a short time.

But she recorded my lines in her voice, so I got to listen to her voice over and over, and they sent me some footage of her, and I got fake teeth to get rid of my gap and look more like her teeth. So I felt toast to her, but we didn’t get to meet. She sent me beautiful, beautiful flowers, because she is such a sweetheart. But yeah, we didn’t meet until we were on set, so not a lot.

Are there any behind the scenes moments that particularly stick out to you for whatever reason?

Emily Meade: It was so sweet to work with children. I think it was my first time with that depth of scenes with children, and they’re so vulnerable and present, and it’s just really emotional. It’s so easy because they’re acting, but they’re just so genuine that it was really striking to me, the experience of acting with a child.

How do you think your character as an adult, since you also have an insight into this, would react if they wound up face-to-face, one-on-one with Batman?

Emily Meade: My character, she wouldn’t give a damn. [Laughs] She would not be afraid at all. I think she will offer him a drink, light a cigarette and tell him to leave.

Did you walk away from the project with a different perspective or view of Cobb’s character than when you came into it?

Emily Meade: Yes. I think in general, I’m someone who tends to be really interested in finding the nuance and empathy in villains. When I was a child, I wanted to be a criminal psychologist. I have always been interested in this.

It’s not that I didn’t think Oz had any redeeming qualities, but I had to be a part of that piece of the story in a way that made me love Oz. This is different than probably if I just watched. Actually, I don’t know – I’m soft, I would love Ozzy even if I watched him. I haven’t seen it, so I don’t know.

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Deirdre O’Connell & Colin Farrell are “compatible animals” in The Penguin

Screen Rant: First, I’d like to hear a little bit about what it was like to develop that really unique mother-son dynamic that you have with Farrell’s character.

Deirdre O’Connell: I feel like we were very lucky that we were kind of compatible animals. We were two actors who were a little off in our own training camps, and there was a lot of homework to do.

There were many lessons on dialect. There was a lot of homework to do on the thinking about the disease that my lady had. There was a lot of homework to do on what the backstory is, which you get to learn very slowly and in dribs and drabs. But when we actually entered the ring together, it was also about keeping each other alive and awake. It was one of the happiest experiences I have ever had.

I asked Emily [Meade]Your younger counterpart mentioned this earlier, and I’m curious if your responses agree at all. What do you think your character would do if they ever wound up with Batman?

Deirdre O’Connell: Laugh at him. Hate to say it. Be like, “[sardonically] Really?” Sorry. [Laughs]

This is very close to what she said. She said she wouldn’t like it, and would probably light him a cigarette and send him away.

Deirdre O’Connell [Laughs] I think really, it would be a matter of indifference to Francis. Sorry, Batman. He thinks he has a huge impact on everyone in Gotham – some people don’t think about her.

Is there any scene from filming that sticks out to you as particularly impactful or difficult for whatever reason? Obviously, without revealing too much.

Deirdre O’Connell: Bath. I’ll just say: bath. Colin gave me a huge basket of flowers before we had a bath so that I would feel strong. It was hard, but I felt strong.

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James Madio had a close introduction to Colin Farrell on the Penguin set

The actor is not shy about embracing the intensity of his character on set

Screen Rant: I’d like to know your opinion if – like Carmine’s former bodyguard – you feel like your character feels a special need for revenge or guilt after his death.

James Madio: Yes, absolutely. I mean, I would love to be in Batman 2. Yeah, I feel like it’s revenge. I played the consigliere, the right-hand guy, so lose your boss – the domino effect of which within the family, it is catastrophic, so someone has to stay vigilant.

How do you think your character specifically would handle going head-to-head with Batman himself if that happened?

James Madio: Milos would be calm and collected. I think that’s why they hired me: to be calm and collected, the loudest in the room. Just try to take the two parties, instead of banging their heads together, teach them peace and harmony – until you can not. That’s kind of the show.

Are there any behind-the-scenes moments from filming that really stand out to you for any particular reason?

James Madio: Well, it’s one that I actually told someone before: When I first saw Colin as Oz in the suit, you can’t help but stare at him. It’s amazing, it’s remarkable – the make-up, everything, the transformation. And I look at him in the corner of my eye, and I keep looking at him, and I look at him and he sees me, he watches me.

He’s like, “This kid’s going to keep looking at me,” and he just made a beeline to me, and he put his face right. [gesturing close to face] There, he says, – Look carefully, do you see everything now? And I’m like, “I do. That was great, thank you for that.” He understood, actor to actor, just to get it out. That was my intro to Colin, so it stood.

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Scott Cohen looked to John Turturro’s performance for Falcone family inspiration

Screen Rant: I’m curious, in your preparation for this role, how much you changed how your character’s relationship with Carmine was over the years. How deep did you go into this regard in terms of your character’s backstory?

Scott Cohen: Well, it goes way back, because we’re family. I went through a bit of a child, and when we grew up, and tried to find out who is who and what, I turned him and wanted to be like him, but he never was. And I went in a different direction, but then had to kind of step up and do what he always wanted me to do.

Would you say that your character is probably more upset about Carmine’s death from a familial perspective rather than political ramifications?

Scott Cohen: Yes, absolutely, yes; It’s all about his brothers – that’s it. It has nothing to do with politics, has everything to do with his brothers. Just in terms of actor-wise, it was about really taking John Turturro and figuring out, “Can I do some of what John Turturro does? Can I sound like John Turturro? Can I give him family commonalities?” That’s kind of the way I went.

How do you think your character would personally handle it if you went face-to-face, one-on-one with Batman?

Scott Cohen: [Laughs] I think I would just kind of cope. Yeah, thank god Batman isn’t in this story, I think I’d be a little scared.

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Director Helen Shaver ‘Worked So Intensely’ With Christine Milioti on Future Episode

Fans can look forward to complex and surprising upcoming scenes

Screen Rant: Showrunner Lauren LeFranc talked about how this really has an opportunity to explore complex female characters in the crime genre, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on how the show achieves that.

Helen Shaver: The characters start with a script, which Lauren LeFranc created, and she created the characters and then cast so well. Cristin Milioti and Deirde O’Connell, brilliant, brilliant actors, and then smart enough to hire a woman director. [Laughs]

Then it was simply a matter of embracing them and bringing them out, and I think what it adds to the whole world, the DC world, is a great richness and a great depth that I’m not sure has ever been there before.

Are there any behind-the-scenes moments from working with the amazing women actors that you just named that really stand out to you for whatever reason?

Helen Shaver: Christine and I worked so intensely together on episode four, and one moment wouldn’t be enough to talk about, right? Because it was like a creative conversation that unfolded as it went along. It was mostly not about talking; It was about creating – for me – creating a space where she was safe enough to let herself be that complex, and big, and big, and real.

In terms of introducing other female characters into the DC universe, are there any you’d like to see explored further?

Helen Shiver: Well, I would like to see what would happen – because Catwoman from the Batman and Sophia from the Penguin are actually half sisters, because Sophia is a daughter of Carmine Falcone. So I would like to see that.

I think Zoe [Kravitz] Did such an amazing job in the film, and Christine is – I know her so intimately now. I think the two of them would just knock it out of the park.

More about The Penguin Season 1

Created by Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin is a crime-drama spin-off television series from the 2022 film The Batman. Set shortly after the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, aka The Penguin, begins his rise in the underworld of Gotham City as he contends with the daughter of his late boss, Carmine Falcone, for control of the crime family’s empire. .

Check out Screen RantS other interviews for The penguin Here: