In a show like “The Penguin,” a cold setting suits it well, but the freezing conditions on set didn’t affect the narrative being presented. Instead, they were crucial for star Colin Farrell to maintain the three-hour prosthetic makeup application that transformed him into Oswald “The Penguin” Cobb.
Farrell remembers, ‘I felt completely enclosed in the Oz costume, and it was extremely warm due to all the makeup,'” or more informally, “Farrell recollects, ‘Being in the Oz suit made me feel fully sealed up, and boy, was it hot under all that makeup!’
During filming for his role as an ambitious Gotham City gangster in a 2023 HBO series, the Irish actor was often too hot due to wearing a 2-pound silicone rubber headpiece and a 30-pound bodysuit. The situation became particularly uncomfortable during the winter when the air conditioning on the New York City soundstage was turned up high, causing the crew to wear winter clothing inside. To help him cool off between takes, they set up a tent called “the Igloo.” As he explained, “We had three industrial air conditioners blowing freezing cold air into it.” He felt it was unfair that the crew previously had to wear heavy snow-goose expedition coats and scarves.
) In his role as a Gotham City gangster for an HBO series in 2023, the Irish actor found himself persistently overheated while wearing a 2-pound silicone rubber headpiece and a 30-pound bodysuit. The cold air conditioning on the New York soundstage during the winter made things even worse, causing the crew to put on winter clothing indoors. To alleviate his discomfort between shots, they constructed a tent named “the Igloo.” He described the situation saying, “We had three industrial air conditioners blasting freezing cold air into it.” He felt it was unjust that the crew earlier had to wear bulky snow-goose expedition coats and scarves.)
The character version of the infamous villain portrayed by Farrell was first introduced in Matt Reeves’ 2022 film “The Batman,” initiating a standalone crime series titled “Elseworlds.” This narrative is separate from the revamped DC universe that DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have rebooted. Mike Marino, the prosthetic designer, was given the fundamental guidelines for Oz’s appearance by Reeves and co-writer Peter Craig, which resulted in a character resembling a rugged Tony Soprano but with the tragic desperation of Fredo Corleone and certain avian traits to symbolize Oz’s unflattering nickname.
As a dedicated fan, I can share an intriguing tidbit: Marino and his team of artists metamorphosed Farrell approximately 90 times throughout “The Penguin”, almost triple the number of sessions they had for “The Batman”. Contrary to some headlines, Marino firmly asserted that the main actor embraced the laborious 150-200 steps makeup process, which typically started at 2 a.m., wholeheartedly.
According to Marino and also confirmed by Farrell, although Colin made comments like “Oh my God, I hated it,” implying he disliked it, those were just empty words. In reality, Colin adored the experience, and they had a fantastic time working on it. Furthermore, Colin was ideally suited for wearing makeup in this project. Marino adds that the entire production process of this role felt like a truly special and unique period, one he rarely feels such strong ownership over a character as he does with Oz, due to the collective effort of everyone involved in bringing him to life.
During the surge of streaming services during the pandemic, HBO Max decided to develop a spinoff series focusing on Farrell’s character from the Batman universe, aiming to delve deeper into this role. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc was given the task by executive producer Reeves to create a narrative link to the upcoming The Batman Part II and portray one of Batman’s well-known villains as a somewhat compassionate lead character (for now). This required introducing viewers to Oz’s tightly-knit inner circle, starting with his mentally ill mother, Francis Cobb, played by Deirdre O’Connell.
As a game creator, I found that understanding and empathy are crucial when crafting characters, and it all began with Oz’s mom. It felt natural to me that he would have a complex bond with her. You see, Oz yearns for approval from the crowd, but deep down, he’s seeking acceptance and love, especially from his mother.
LeFranc additionally introduced his recurring companion throughout the season, Victor “Vic” Aguilar (played by Rhenzy Feliz). After Vic and four other teenagers tried to swipe the rims off Oz’s prized Maserati, Vic – who had recently lost his family when the Riddler bombed Gotham City’s seawall and was left with a stutter as a result – tried to apologize. Despite this, his speech impediment got in the way. However, Oz, who also has a disability, seemed to show some understanding and empathy towards the 17-year-old orphan.
LeFranc expresses that he seldom encounters characters similar to Victor, who are emotionally exposed, in crime dramas or comic book series. Being of Mexican descent, he yearned for a character who originated from a nurturing household that was half-Mexican and half-Dominican.
In the movie “The Batman”, after the Riddler kills Gotham’s crime lord, Carmine Falcone (played by John Turturro), Oz sees an opening and decides to test Vic as a versatile operative as he attempts to seize power. His initial task involves assisting Oz in relocating the body of Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen), Carmine’s son, whom Oz impulsively killed after Alberto had ridiculed Oz’s ambition to be remembered like a local gangster from his past.
The leaders of the production teams faced a distinctive set of difficulties when it came to recreating and enlarging the Liverpool-shot Batman cityscape of Reeves’ film, in the context of a TV timetable and budget in New York City. Luckily, there was a harmonious collaboration between the two productions, as evidenced by Reeves and the film’s cinematographer Greig Fraser sharing technical specifications for cameras, lenses, and lighting with Craig Zobel, director of episodes one through three of Penguin.
In addition to production designer Kalina Ivanov and visual effects supervisor Johnny Han, their team members associated with the Batman series provided them with resources. This included using visual effects (VFX) to rebuild sets such as the Iceberg Lounge. Han scoured through all the daily footage from The Batman movie and discovered shots of the nightclub run by Oz, which he utilized as reference images or ‘plates’. These plates served as a replacement for green screen backgrounds.
Han shares that Dan Lemmon, a VFX supervisor for The Batman, provided him with a brief history behind each visual effects shot in the film. He found it incredibly enlightening and appreciated being passed on this knowledge, like receiving a torch.
In their planning for the film, Reeves and LeFranc chose to have The Penguin (character) establish his power base beneath Gotham City instead of from a high vantage point. As Ivanov explains, they aimed to create an urban setting reminiscent of “The French Connection,” focusing on bridges, overpasses, and elevated train tracks. To maintain this unique geographical feel, they deliberately avoided portraying Manhattan as much as possible.
In the temporary role of main character, Oz required a formidable opponent for an impressive clash, and that’s where the character of Sofia Falcone, played by Cristin Milioti, comes into play.
Raised in New Jersey, Milioti developed an early fascination with portraying Batman’s antagonists after playing make-believe in her backyard. This connection made her feel a deep affection for the character of Sofia and recognize the significant expectations set by the numerous vibrant villains from Gotham, New Jersey. “I’ve always dreamed of playing a Batman villain,” Milioti admits. “There was an ongoing pressure, some of which I created myself, to do it right.
For the past ten years, Sofia has been in Arkham Asylum following her encounter with her father, Carmine, over his role in staging her mother’s suicide. Earlier, their driver, Oz, had exposed Carmine to the mob boss about Sofia’s connection with a journalist. Consequently, when Sofia spoke out against her father, Carmine falsely accused her of the journalist’s murder and several other heinous crimes that he himself had committed under the alias “The Hangman.
Sadly, a compassionate woman, forced into Arkham, ended up transformed due to cruel electroshock treatments and deplorable conditions. Once freed, she made it her immediate priority to avenge herself by brutally executing the Falcone clan, who had unfairly contributed to her false imprisonment under Carmine.
Milioti expresses that one of the most painful sensations is realizing one’s disposability, and this is exactly what happens to Sofia on a grand scale. She aspires for the audience to sympathize with her transformation into a full-fledged villain because it becomes evident why she acts as she does.
Helen Shaver, who oversaw the portrayal of Sofia’s origin and her seizure of her father’s criminal empire in the fourth episode “Cent’Anni,” penned by John McCutcheon, found the filming of this intense chapter to be surprisingly uplifting. According to Shaver, “The chance to depict Oz and Carmine’s heart-wrenching betrayal as the foundation upon which this iconic character evolves was a source of genuine joy.” Shaver goes on to say that despite the greatness of the Penguin, Sofia makes for an even more compelling character.
Unfortunately for Sofia, the individual who has stood by her unwaveringly, her brother Alberto, vanishes. At first, she thinks that Oz might be connected to his disappearance, but later events suggest otherwise. In the first episode of the series, it’s the Maroni family, manipulated by Oz and Victor, who are blamed for his death.
Just prior to the gruesome finding of Alberto’s corpse, Sofia tormented an undressed Oz, pushing Marino’s team to their limits, greatly extending the previously three-hour process of applying the prosthetics.
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In the moments leading up to discovering Alberto’s dead body, Sofia inflicted pain on an unclothed Oz, causing immense difficulty for Marino’s team, adding hours to the already lengthy three-hour process of fitting the prosthetics.
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As they were about to unearth Alberto’s lifeless body, Sofia subjected Oz to torment without clothes on, challenging Marino’s team beyond measure, causing a significant increase in the time it took to apply the prosthetics (originally three hours).
According to Marino, the bright light of day poses the greatest challenge for a prosthetic. Any imperfections become noticeable under sunlight, he recalls. On an especially tough day, Colin found himself in a sweltering greenhouse, his hairy and scarred suitless body, bound to a chair. This was undoubtedly the most difficult day he had encountered.
Oz initiating his first chess move against Alberto sparked a relentless battle over Gotham’s drug territory, marked by shifting alliances. Later on, Sofia learns about Oz killing her brother, and using information provided by Eve (Carmen Ejogo), Oz’s lover, she kidnaps Francis to gain an advantage. To shield his mother from the consequences of his criminal connections, Oz had deceived everyone into believing she was deceased.
Using Dr. Rush, an ally from Arkham, Sofia learns from Francis that Oz is the one who caused the deaths of his brothers Jack and Benny back in 1988. Faced with the threat of harm to his mother, Oz refuses to admit the truth. Despite this, he remains unrepentant, leading Francis to attack him and ultimately abandon him, only for Oz to suffer a devastating stroke shortly thereafter.
According to Milioti, Sofia realizes that causing mental harm is one of the most severe injuries one can inflict, as it’s impossible to flee from it.
Struck by his siblings’ indifference towards his clubfoot during a critical round of hide-and-seek, young Oz, who often struggled with self-control, chose to imprison Jack and Benny in an overflow water tunnel. This same impulsive nature later drove him to commit the murder of Alberto Falcone over three decades later. Despite knowing that Young Oz was responsible for the tragic loss of his brothers, Farrell hesitated before giving him the benefit of the doubt, refraining from alerting their mother immediately after the incident.
Farrell states, “He wasn’t an architectural engineer at age ten, let me clarify. I don’t believe he understood that shutting a sewer gate would cause it to be airtight, leading to a surge of water and potentially drowning his brothers.
Overwhelmed by his mother’s recent slide into a vegetative state and Sofia’s revelation of his vulnerability, Oz concludes that any kind of family will hinder him from attaining the status of a true crime boss. In a scene that leaves viewers in shock, he chokes Victor to death shortly after the young man thanked him for their newly formed bond.
LeFranc remarks, ‘He’s always been the kind of person he is now, but we’ve shown him some leniency.’ When Oz murders Victor, it’s as if he’s ripping out his own heart, and it’s horrific. There’s no excuse for such an act. I hope it makes viewers ponder why they ever trusted someone like this.
Despite not yet beginning the preparations, actor Farrell will once again take on his role in “The Batman Part II,” which has been in development for some time. He acknowledges that if there were to be a second season of a “Penguin” series, it would be challenging to reinvent Oswald Cobblepot as the main character after his cold-blooded killing of Victor and contributing to his mother’s emotional detachment. Farrell expresses that while it makes a second season more difficult, it’s not entirely impossible, but it will require a greater effort.
Speaking as a dedicated fan, one often-overlooked aspect of Farrell’s performance as the Penguin was his distinctive waddle due to Oz’s clubbed foot. To fully embody the character, he had to wear a leg brace. Laughingly, he admitted, “I wasn’t as smart as I could have been, a sentiment I’ve expressed before in both work and life.” He faced some hip issues during filming, and his pelvis was slightly misaligned, but he rectified it afterwards.
Amidst this golden age of limited series, I can’t help but feel a thrill about what lies ahead for my character, be it another season of ‘Penguin’, a sequel to ‘The Batman’, or a series centered around my relationship with my newly discovered half-sister, Selina Kyle, played by the talented Zoë Kravitz in ‘The Batman’. In the final scenes of the finale, I find a letter from Selina, offering a spark of hope as Oz manages to get me reinstated to Arkham.
According to Milioti, she’s thrilled to carry on playing the character Sofia, in any capacity. She also expresses a desire to see Sofia and Selina join forces, causing total chaos in Gotham. As far as she knows, such a scenario has never been explored in the Batman universe before.
Here’s an intriguing twist on the tale I’m about to share – it initially graced the pages of the June special edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine! If you’d like to be the first to read such captivating stories, why not consider subscribing? Click here to start your journey now.
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2025-06-09 23:55