We're inching closer to the finish line on HBO’s The Penguin, the limited series spinoff to Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Each week, as we learn more about the crime world of Gotham and the villains who inhabit it, we also dig deeper into the supporting characters who impact the leads, such as Oz Cobb’s (Colin Farrell) mother Francis (Deirdre O'Connell). What makes Oz such a great character is how complicated he is; not only is he ruthless and conniving, but he's also awkward, insecure, and needs reassurance from his mom.
We get to know Francis a little bit throughout The Penguin, and while she might have a limited role, O'Connell’s performance does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to explaining why Oz is the way he is. I had the pleasure of catching up with the actress at New York Comic Con earlier this month, where I asked her about who inspired her for her portrayal. It’s not difficult to find similarities between Francis and Tony Sopranos’ mom Livia from The Sopranos, but O'Connell looked to another fictional mom for this role.
The Penguin’s Deirdre O'Connell interview
O'Connell shared that she channeled her friend and mentor, the late actress Geraldine Page, for her performance in The Penguin, particularly her character in the 1984 crime film The Pope of Greenwich Village. She recalled one scene that spoke to her, calling it a “touchstone” for her as she was filming The Penguin:
"At one point she says — she’s a cop’s mom so she’s not a gangster’s mom but she’s in a gangster’s world — she’s talking to these cops after her kid’s dead and she says something like, ‘My son was as strong as a bar of steel and he didn’t get it from his father.’"
Watch our conversation with O’Connell on our TikTok page here.
The Pope of Greenwich Village, directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Daryl Hannah, and Jack Kehoe alongside Page, follows two cousins who, in a desperate attempt to earn money, pull off a robbery. What they don't realize is they've just robbed a powerful mobster. Page's role as Mrs. Ritter earned her an Academy Award nomination.
When comparing Francis to Livia from The Sopranos, O'Connell explained a key differentiator: Francis "doesn’t want anybody to feel sorry for her ever." The actress shared that she pushed back against her character looking for pity, as she didn't feel like she would behave that way.
O'Connell was cognizant of potential comparisons to The Sopranos character, especially after watching the recently-released HBO documentary Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos. “'Oh, did I copy that?'” O'Connell recalled asking herself, before realizing that, no, she was going for Mrs. Ritter.
There are three episodes left in The Penguin and we’re sure to see Francis show up again as the series starts to wrap up. Don’t miss the sixth episode, “Gold Summit,” this Sunday, October 27 on HBO and Max. We’ll be reviewing the episode here at Winter is Coming so be sure to check back with us.
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