Summary
Without a doubt,The Penguinwas one of the best shows of 2024. Its amazing success not only comes down to Lauren LeFranc’s incredible writing but also its stellar cast lineup. Even though all eyes were initially on Colin Farell as the seedy and criminal lord of the underworld, it was Cristin Milioti’s role as Sofia Falcone that blew viewers' minds as she gave Oz’s biggest rival a completely new and spellbinding lease of life to her comic book counterpart.
HBO’sThe Penguinis a spin-off of Matt Reeves’ 2022 filmThe Batman,which revolves around the world of Oswald Cobb and how he became the gritty and savage crime lord from the DC Comics. Comic book adaptations haven’t always been a success over the years, with the likes ofGhost Rider, Blue Beetle, andMorbiusfailing to keep their heads above water. Thankfully,The Penguindidn’t succumb to the curse, even though many had doubts about whether it could stand on its own feet. Since its release in September 2024, the series hasreceived countless award nominationsas well as accumulated high praise from fans and critics alike, but one point of anyPenguinconversation always seems to rotate back to Milioti’s performance and how incredible she was. However, it seems as though the talented actor wasn’t as confident in herself when she was on the show’s set.
Cristin Milioti Thought She’d Be Fired From The Penguin
In an interview withIndieWire,Cristin Milioti, who starred as the spectacular Sofia in HBO’sThe Penguin, revealed that she had fears of being let go from the show. Milioti was asked what she was most nervous about going into the series, with the seasoned actor stating that “all of it” made her anxious and that she was afraid of coming across as “bad.” However, what would surprise mostThe Penguinfans is that Milioti also had fears about being fired and would only relax when the show recorded a few episodes since “it would be hard for them to fire me because they shot so much of it.”
“I experience this with a lot of what I work on, and I know other actors do too. I definitely calm down once I know there’s a certain amount of footage that they have. And I know that, like, at this point, it would be hard for them to fire me because they shot so much of it. I usually am like, “I think they would tell me by now if I were fired,” but so always in the beginning, it’s nerve-wracking. So by the time we got to 4, I was like, “I think they would have let me go by now.”
Milioti also revealed how much of a hugeBatmanfan she has been since a child and that it was a lifelong dream to play a villain in the franchise. Even though Milioti recognizes thatSofia did a lot of pretty terrible things inThe Penguin, she reveals that she does get stopped now and again by women who tell her that they have empathy for Sofia’s journey. “I’ve been stopped by a lot of women being like, “This part was so cool,” or cathartic to see her go through this, and I felt that way as well. It’s incredible.”
Like many fans, afterThe Penguinfinished, thoughts turned to whether a possible season two would be in the works. On the red carpet during this year’s Golden Globes, showrunnerLauren LeFranc said that she wouldn’t ruleThe Penguinout of future possibilities, revealing that “more stories to tell there, for sure, if we can find the right idea or the right characters.”
The Penguin
Cast
Created by Lauren LeFranc and starring Colin Farrell, The Penguin builds on 2022’s The Batman. The Max series chronicles the eponymous villain’s attempt to reach Gotham’s criminal peak, rising through the underworld in the middle of a power struggle.
