From the moment a soft haze first emerges over Oz Cobb's shoulder on HBO The Penguin before the series, Cristin Milioti's Sofia Falcone is a compelling, terrifying, live presence; his dull eyes never miss a trick and aggressively advertise his supposed instability – sure, I'm crazy, do you want to see how crazy I am?
For Milioti (how I Met Your Mother, Black mirror), the character represents a long-time goal achieved: landing a major role in a superhero project. And because crime boss Carmine Falcone's daughter had so little backstory in the comics and films, Milioti and showrunner Lauren LeFranc were able to create her character almost entirely from scratch, casting the DC Universe's rare so-called villain which looks completely new.
While critics have been full of initial praise (with some already predicting an Emmy nod), and the show's ratings have suggested the limited series is a success (its debut topped previews of the most recent season of Succession AND The White Lotus), fans haven't actually seen anything yet. Milioti's performance takes some intense turns along the way. Below, the actress talks about how she landed the role and how she approached the character, which she calls “one of the favorite things I've ever done in my entire life.”
So when The Penguin the reviews came out, I'm sure you already knew you knocked it out of the park, but when everyone started saying it, it had to be pretty good.
I didn't think so. I don't think I ever feel completely like this. I don't read reviews. I'm too much of a scaredy cat. But I heard from the weather forecast that people liked the show, and that was enough. Then I put my head back in the sand. It's always very nerve-wracking to share your work with the world.
What was your first reaction when you heard about Sofia Falcone's character?
I got a little scared in the best way with excitement. I've dreamed of playing someone like this for a long time. I'm also a huge Batman fan and have dreamed of playing a villain in the Batman universe since I was a child. I pretended to be the Batman villain in my backyard when I was growing up. And so when it first happened to me, I wanted it in a way that was very profound. Once I got on board with the project, and once I read more and more scripts, I was amazed that I could do it. It was very profound. I just love it. It's one of my favorite things to do in my entire life.
I heard you say in another interview that you were nominated for other superhero movie roles and were rejected. Have you started to ask yourself, “Do I not fit into this world?” Was there a particular project that felt like the one that got away?
There were a couple of them. I love superhero movies and have tried many of them. If there was someone my age, I was probably ready on several levels. Some I made until the final round. And yeah, you start to think, “Oh, OK, I guess I'm not built for that.” And then with this one, it felt like, “I really understand this character,” and it felt like kind of destiny. While the others, I understand why I didn't take them. For sure.
Like they weren't built for you, but this one is.
It was simply never the right solution. But this, I felt like I completely understood her and was obsessed with her from the beginning. And that's one of the great things about getting older too, is that you start to feel like whatever role you're supposed to find is bound to find you, and that's all good. Everyone is on their own path. I'm grateful I didn't get those jobs because I wouldn't necessarily have played Sofia.
Sofia has such a commanding vibe and is very present. There is also this hardness in her, this wall. I know this question will be a little like, “How does acting work?” But how did you get into this mode?
I have my own little preparations and processes that I do. So much of that was in the writing too and so much of it was that I felt like I understood this woman. I also worked with a movement coach and it was very helpful to find little things here and there. And I have a playlist: all the things the actors talk about. But I really wanted to build this person, and once I started building her, and once I started getting in there, I could find ways to get stuck.
Have you studied Falcone's other types of actors? While watching one of your scenes, I suddenly remembered a scene in Batman begins when Tom Wilkinson's Carmine Falcone mocks Bruce Wayne by saying, “Your old man begged for mercy. Please. Like a dog.” Sofia reminded me of his behavior and delivery.
My God. First of all, a huge compliment. Huge. I looked at John Turturro [who played Carmine in The Batman] because I wanted to play like him. First finding that accent, but thinking about someone who's been missing for 10 years and what that does to a person and how that shapes them. But I've watched it a lot and, of course, I know Tom Wilkinson's portrayal. Both have that icy coolness that turns on a dime. Then I thought, “OK, I get it, I'll stay away now.” [from watching anybody else].”
It's a funny dynamic on the show because we can tell that Oz is trying to play Sofia, but she always knows that he's playing her, at least to some extent. We just don't know to what extent he knows this.
Exactly, exactly. It's a delightful cat and mouse game that's also great fun to modulate.
I would think Farrell's makeup and prosthetics helped somewhat because he becomes such a grotesque figure to play against.
It was immensely helpful. Oz Cobb seems incredibly real to me. I felt like I was really with him. I know it's Colin, of course. And we would be sitting there talking [between takes] talk about how it's going, how you do at work. But it's so strange. I just watched the first four episodes a couple of weeks ago, and it was like seeing an old friend again because that's who I spent eight months with. It's a truly surreal experience that I don't know I'll ever have again.
The Penguin releases new episodes Sundays TO 9pm on HBO/Max.