Colin Farrell’s portrayal of Oz Cobb a.k.a. The Penguin in Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe is quite distinct. Farrell is nearly unrecognizable in this role, a plethora of prosthetics transforming him from a suave actor into the weaselly mobster we love to hate. Farrell has done such an impeccable job of embodying this character and bringing him to life in The Penguin, that the actor recently took home a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series for his role in the show. But he’s not the first Batman villain to win this prestigious award.
Unsurprisingly, Heath Ledger was the first actor to win a Golden Globe for playing a Batman villain. Though the actor won the award posthumously after his tragic death, his turn as the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is still lauded as one of, if not the best portrayal of this character to this day. More recently, Joaquin Phoenix also took home a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the Joker in Todd Phillips’ Joker. Both Phoenix and Ledger would go on to win Academy Awards as well, something that Farrell won’t be eligible for due to The Penguin being a TV series.
When asked about his award and what it was like to join Ledger and Phoenix as the best of Batman’s villains, Farrell was honored above all else. Speaking at a press conference after his big win, Farrell said “I mean you mentioned two actors who are, I think, for my money, two of the most extraordinary, talented, gifted, and just brilliant artists in film that I’ve ever had the fortune to observe and be affected by, you know.”
“What Heath did in Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight was extraordinary and will live on for future generations,” he continued. “To have your name thrown into it, just uttered in the same sentence as those performances and stuff, honestly, it’s lovely.”
