3 hours of preparation, 85 of make-up: How did Colin Farrell become the Penguin from Batman for his series?

Currently airing on the MAX platform, Penguin is a spin-off series from Batman directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz. For fans of the world of superheroes, this spin-off focuses on the character of Oswald Cobb, aka The Penguin, played by Colin Farrell.

The Irish actor reprized the role he already played in 2022’s 8 Episodes, which follows the character’s rise through Gotham’s criminal underworld and is somewhere between The Sopranos and Marvel’s Daredevil.

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The first episodes convinced the public with its atmosphere, violence, ruthless intrigue and above all the actors, including Colin Farrell, who completely transformed into a penguin.

Colin Farrell’s incredible transformation

As in the case of Batman, Colin Farrell had to undergo bodywork and intense makeup by artist Mike Marino, which completely transformed him. But the actor had only ten minutes of screen time in the film.

The series ran for 8 episodes, the process was longer for Colin Farrell, who loved the experience, as he told us in an interview:

“One of my favorite parts of the day was sitting in the makeup chair every morning because I love the team I worked with, Mike Marino who created the makeup, then Mike Fontaine who helped me apply it.

Then there was Stella, Val, Bob who did the wig and Crystal. There were six of us and we had our caravan “Penguin”. We were in it together, with music, drinking coffee and talking every morning.”

Every morning after this friendly moment, Colin Farrell would take a few moments of quiet concentration to get into character. Even if she felt a bit tired at the end, the actress was impressed by her make-up:

Mike said we did about 85 makeups. I couldn’t work very often, two days in a row, because the skin was a little damaged underneath. But it moved so well and the materials they used were so light that it gave a good impression of movement.

I never felt limited by makeup. I felt the complete opposite. Makeup was very liberating because there is a lot of acting behind it. Just like I could do exactly the same without makeup. But yeah, I just felt like I had permission to run.”

This sensation allowed him to let loose in his playing and have fun with his interpretation. Above all, Colin Farrell liked to give his character more depth compared to Batman. “Where the character was quite light”According to him:

“We already saw in the film that he could be dangerous and violent, but we didn’t get to really explore the character. There we understand that he is a broken man. The character was difficult to conceive. Psychologically, he can be tender and vulnerable, then violent, Nasty and ruthless.

Comments collected by Megan Choquette on September 25, 2024 in London.

The series “Penguin” is currently running on the MAX platform.