Colin Farrell Masterfully Adopts a New York Accent for His Role in The Penguin

Colin Farrell's Accent Transformation for The Penguin

Colin Farrell not only underwent a major physical transformation for his role in HBO’s series The Penguin but also learned a specific New York accent with some assistance. The actor who stunned audiences with his performance in The Batman as the titular villain Oz Cobb is set to reprise the now-iconic role in its spin-off series.

Challenges in Accent Preparation

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Farrell revealed that playing the New York gangster came with its challenges. However, one trick came in handy while reciting dialogues in an American accent. First, he explained the detailed process of selecting a peculiar accent for his character that is true to the region he’s from.

• My dialect coach, Jessica Drake, she has a library of thousands of accents from all over the world dating back to the ’30s and ’40s,” he recalled.
• After listening to multiple recordings, they settled on an accent that was both “energetic” and soundwise appealing.
• “He talked a lot about Gefilte fish, and so whenever my accent started to go, she would call me back and I’d say ‘Gefilte fish’ and that was a little trick,” Farrell explained.

What to Expect from The Penguin

The spin-off series follows the aftermath of the events of The Batman, released in 2022. In The Penguin, Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot aims to dominate the crime world in Gotham.

Showrunner Lauren LeFranc describes the show as a “grounded character drama” that focuses on flawed characters rather than traditional heroes or villains. The series also stars Cristin Milioti, Michael Kelly, and Rhenzy Feliz, set to premiere on September 20 on Max.