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Previous Oswald Cobblepot actor Danny DeVito has discussed his thoughts about The Penguin TV show and Colin Farrell’s depiction of the iconic DC Comics supervillain. 2024 is perhaps the biggest year for one of Batman’s most iconic enemies, as The Penguin’s live-action series has become one of the most well-received projects for DC in a long time. As The Penguin season 1 finale has come and gone, more reactions are now starting to come out about the series, including from someone who is no stranger to the DC foe.
In a new interview with MovieWeb, Danny DeVito, who brought The Penguin to life in Michael Keaton’s Batman Returns, was asked about DC’s HBO drama and Farrell’s portrayal of one of Bruce Wayne’s most classic villains. DeVito had nothing but praise for Farrell and The Penguin series, while he also added that he understood the challenges that came with playing that role, stating the following:
Oh, Colin’s giving me a run for my money. And it’s totally different. I’ve been watching it. I haven’t watched the whole thing, but I watched most of what was out… and you know, it’s really good.
I understand the trauma of going through, like, hours and hours of makeup, and you’re transforming yourself
. It’s different with me, because wherever I go, I’m Oswald Cobblepot, you know, people could see me. You can’t hide me. You know what I mean, that kind of thing. Colin could go anywhere he wants with that makeup and go sit in a restaurant. They wouldn’t go, ‘Hey it’s Colin Farrell, hey,’ you know, he doesn’t look anything like what he did in The Penguin. I mean, it’s hard to hide me, even with pounds of makeup as The Penguin.
Outside of DeVito’s understanding of Farrell having to deal with all the make-up and prosthetics, the Batman Returns star also acknowledged that their respective takes on The Penguin are very different. DeVito calls his iteration of the character “a misunderstood bird”, and comparatively describes Farrell’s The Batman villain as “a gangster penguin.” Given that the HBO series was all about the various crime families in Gotham City clashing with each other, this was the fitting design for Farrell’s incarnation. DeVito stated:
But I think we both really do a substantially good job with Oswald from different angles. You know, mine had no Italian overtones of mafia or guns in that way. I was just the, you know, egomaniac trying to take over the city. I was, you know, a misunderstood bird, a bird who cannot fly. So mine is a totally different character than in The Penguin with Colin, which is good. It’s good. Here you got a gangster penguin. It’s fine, and he’s doing a great job.
It’s also key to remember that DeVito’s Penguin in Batman Returns was a lot more of the old-school version of the Batman rival, especially coming off in the 1990s era. Farrell’s iteration in The Batman and The Penguin cast is updated but still maintains the criminal underworld aspects that come with his character in more recent comics runs. Having the influence of the gangster element in Farrell’s version doesn’t take anything away from what DeVito did in Batman Returns, as both performances can be equally enjoyed for different reasons.
DeVito has always been incredibly supportive of his fellow Penguin actors who have come after him, as he also shared praise for Robin Lord Taylor’s depiction on the Gotham TV show when it was airing on FOX. Even though this was a role he played only once more than three decades ago, it’s still fun to hear DeVito be invested in The Penguin’s media legacy. Anyone who wants to relive every episode of The Penguin season 1 can do so by catching the entire series on Max.
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Source: MovieWeb
“}]] DeVito looks back to his time as The Penguin. Read More