It’s hardly surprising that Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb a.k.a. The Penguin is getting his own HBO spinoff show following The Batman , as his performance in Matt Reeves’ blockbuster is outstanding. The actor utterly disappears into the role in every way, as he not only perfectly sells himself as an ambitious crime boss in Gotham’s underworld, but is wholly unrecognizable thanks to expert design and effects. Farrell has earned widespread acclaim for his turn… but there has also been some criticism, and he addressed some lobbed complaints this past weekend at San Diego Comic-Con.
With The Penguin now just a little over a month-and-a-half from its premiere (set to make its HBO debut on September 19), Colin Farrell virtually joined the Hall H panel for the series on Saturday, and he spoke at great length about what it took to transform him into the scarred, overweight, and intimidating Oz Cobb. He lauded the art form of practical effects and the team effort that it took to bring the character to life – but he also noted that he had his own doubts about the approach.
Colin Farrell Inquired About Playing A ‘Thin Penguin’ – And Shared Love For Gotham’s Robin Lord Taylor
His visage projected on a giant screen behind a panel that included The Penguin co-stars Cristin Milioti and Rhenzy Feliz , series creator Lauren LeFranc, makeup designer Mike Marino, and executive producers Matt Reeves and Dylan Clark, Colin Farrell directly addressed critics who have pondered why The Batman cast him to play Oz Cobb when they could have gotten a performer that naturally had the look they desired. He noted that he would be asking the same question if he were on the outside looking in, and also admitted that he asked The Batman director if portraying the comic book size of the character was necessary. Said Farrell,
With that last idea out there, Farrell followed up by acknowledging that a “thin Penguin” wouldn’t have technically been the most novel idea. In comics, television, and film, the character has traditionally been portrayed as rotund, but that was not the direction taken for the long-running series Gotham , and Oscar-nominated star acknowledged the contribution to the Penguin legacy by Robin Lord Taylor:
Regardless of whether or not the approach would have been unique, The Batman director Matt Reeves didn’t envision a “thin Penguin” as part of his movie, and the creative team got to work designing a special look.
Embracing The Dying Art Of Practical Effects
Colin Farrell gave credit to Michael Marino for the final look that The Penguin has in The Batman , and he acknowledged that part of his appreciation for the work is a reflection of the fact that it’s an incredible accomplishment produced from what he calls a “dying art.” In modern Hollywood, practical effects are ironically not as practical as performance capture and digital creation, but there remains something exceptional and tactile about applied prosthetics and special effects makeup. Farrell continued,
He added that the specific plan for what The Penguin would look like in The Batman didn’t come together until he was officially cast in the film, but once he was hired, magic was made. Said Farrell,
In making The Batman and The Penguin , Colin Farrell found himself bringing to life a character in a way wholly different than he ever did before.
Colin Farrell Feels He Owes A Lot Of Credit To His Collaborators For His Performances In Both The Batman And The Penguin
Obviously any character in a movie or TV show is the result of collaboration (for starters, the actor playing the role isn’t generally performing however they want in the moment and saying anything that comes to mind), but Colin Farrell acknowledged that bringing Oz Cobb to life has been a new kind of experience for him in his career. It’s special because he knows that his spirit and personality isn’t the only thing bringing the part to life:
For what it’s worth, Michael Marino did receive tremendous acclaim for his work brining The Batman to life, as he earned an Academy Award nomination in 2023.
Colin Farrell isn’t a method actor, but thanks to his collaboration with Michael Marino and the artists on The Batman and The Penguin , he found himself with the great opportunity to be “gone” and let the character just be the character.
The eight-chapter run of The Penguin will begin on Thursday, September 19, and episodes will be available to stream after they air with a Max subscription .
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