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For lead actor (and executive producer) Colin Farrell, the subject matter and script of HBO's The Penguin led him into dark places - so much so that he used a novel way to snap himself out of it.

"I watched Toy Story," Farrell told the Associated Press. "I was going in to watch Pixar films at the end of the working day just for something light and beautiful."

While The Penguin's first episode is out now on HBO and the Max streaming platform, there's no judgment in not seeing it yet. Farrell said after filming of The Penguin was complete, his next job was thankfully much the opposite.

"It was actually a lovely job. It was optimistic and it was light and about healing as [The Penguin] is about damage and about darkness and pessimistic," says Farrell. "i mean this is a really almost borderline nihilistic piece of drama - this eight hours of the Penguin show. It was a good antidote."

Farrell didn't name what he went to film next, but it appears to be the romantasy movie A Big Bold Beautiful Journey co-starring Margot Robbie due out in 2025.

The Penguin airs weekly on HBO, and Toy Story (all of 'em) are available streaming on Disney+.

How to watch the entire Toy Story franchise - including the movies, TV show, and shorts - in order.