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If you were surprised by seeing what Colin Farrell looked like as Oz Cobblepot — aka the Penguin — looked like in Matt Reeves’ The Batman in 2022, you’re not alone: as Farrell told San Diego Comic-Con 2024 crowds, he was stunned, and excited, by what he looked like the first time he saw himself in the finished look.

During the panel for the upcoming eight-episode miniseries The Penguin, Farrell said that his first day in the full Penguin costume (complete with make-up) was “one of the best days I’ve ever had in 25 years as an actor” — and he credits a lot of that to the team behind the prosthetics and costuming.

“I’ve never felt such a lack of total ownership over a character, and I’m so grateful for that,” he went on to say, saying that he feels that Oz is a “50/50” collaboration between himself and the makeup and prosthetic designer Mike Marino — although he admitted that, on days when he felt more generous, he might only claim “41%” of the ownership. “As soon as that suit went on, I was gone. It was such a pleasure.”

The transformation between Farrell and the Penguin was so complete, the actor said, that “the only thing that were mine were my hands.” He admitted enjoying how total the change was, and loving the character as a whole. Despite spending hours in the makeup chair every day of production, he believes it was worth it: “It was a long shoot, but he’s just a tasty character,” the actor said, “he’s a disaster!”

That said, Farrell is well aware of just how unsettling Oz looked when the makeup was complete. As he remembered telling his sister during production, “I don’t know if I’d like to do a scene against me in this shit.”

The Penguin debuts September 19 on HBO and Max.

Get a fuller San Diego Comic-Con experience with a full rundown of our SDCC 2024 stories, as well as all the big SDCC 2024 news, how to make the most out of San Diego Comic-Con, and the real burning question: how much does it actually cost to go to SDCC?