The Penguin Cast Explained: Who Plays Oz, Sofia Falcone, Vic & other Major Characters

Colin Farrell is Oswald ‘Oz’ Cobb (Penguin)

Colin Farrell, an Oscar-nominated Irish actor, will play Oswald “Oz” Cobb. He’s recognized for movies like Minority Report, Daredevil (2003), In Bruges, Total Recall (2012), and more recently, The Banshees of Inisherin, an Oscar-nominated film that brought him his second Golden Globe, following his win for In Bruges. Both films were made with writer/director Martin McDonagh.

In the movie “The Batman,” Farrell took on the role of Oz in a secondary part, which garnered such praise that Warner Bros. and director Matt Reeves considered him fitting for his own spinoff series. With an impressive amount of makeup and body prosthetics, Farrell almost unrecognizably transformed into Oz.

Colin Farrell is

Cristin Milioti is Sofia Falcone (The Hangman)

Cristin Milioti portrays Sofia Falcone, a renowned character actress who gained significant recognition for her role as the central mother in the last season of “How I Met Your Mother.” Apart from this, she has made notable appearances in films like “The Wolf of Wall Street,” where she played Jordan Belfort’s first wife Teresa Petrillo, and TV series such as “Fargo” (Season 2), “30 Rock,” Netflix’s “Black Mirror,” Marvel’s “Hit-Monkey,” “The Venture Bros.” (as “Night Nurse Cindy”), the comedic time-loop drama “Palm Springs,” and the miniseries “The Resort.

Interestingly enough, one of Milioti’s initial minor roles was frequently appearing on HBO’s ‘The Sopranos’, portraying Catherine Sacrimoni, the daughter of New York crime boss Johnny Sacrimoni. This means that taking on the role of Sofia Falcone in ‘The Penguin’ is a return to where it all started for Milioti.

In the opening scenes of “The Penguin”, we find Sofia stepping out of Arkham Asylum, where she had been imprisoned for a long time due to a series of murders that earned her the chilling moniker “The Hangman”. Her return is driven by a desire to ensure that her family’s criminal empire remains under their control.

Rhenzy Feliz is Victor Aguilar

In the story, Oz Cobb’s partner-in-crime is Victor Aguilar, who is portrayed by the Dominican-American actor Rhenzy Feliz. This talented actor gained fame for his leading role as Alex Wilder in Marvel’s TV series on Hulu, titled “Runaways,” which aired from 2017 to 2019. At the same time, he made a mark by appearing as Aaron in Season 6 of MTV’s “Teen Wolf” and lending his voice to the character Camilo Madrigal in Disney’s 2021 animated movie “Encanto.

At the start of “The Penguin”, Victor, as a young boy, resides amidst the wreckage of Gotham City’s streets. He subsequently comes under the protection of The Penguin and assists him in his quest for power.

Clancy Brown is Sal Maroni

As a dedicated fan, I can confidently say that Clancy Brown has become one of my favorite character actors across the board, gracing both the big and small screens with his exceptional talent. He’s brought life to Mr. Krabs in SpongeBob SquarePants, The Harbinger in John Wick 4, and a variety of roles in Star Wars projects, including a governor, an Inquisitor, a convict, and even Darth Maul’s brother. His presence can also be felt on Showtime’s Billions as Waylon Jeffcoat, Netflix’s The Crown as Lyndon B. Johnson, and as the iconic voice of Lex Luthor in Superman: The Animated Series and numerous other DC animated projects. Truly, this man has an impressive list of screen credits to his name!

Salvatore Maroni’s imprisonment significantly impacted Batman’s narrative; however, he appeared scarcely on TV broadcasts. In The Penguin, Maroni remains incarcerated, but Oz perceives a fresh chance for alliance against the Falcones. Regrettably, Oz was instrumental in Carmine Falcone’s machinations to bring down Maroni, so there are deep-rooted grudges that need resolution before moving forward.

Deirdre O’Connell is Francis Cobb

Deirdre O’Connell portrays Oz Cobb’s mother, Francis Cobb. She is a versatile character actress who has appeared in numerous productions. Notably, she played Anna Nelson, Foggy Nelson’s mother, in the Marvel-Netflix series ‘Daredevil’; Athena Bailey in the popular drama series ‘The Affair’; Patricia Tillerson in Amazon’s ‘Outer Range’; and had minor roles in ‘Nurse Jackie’, ‘The Closer’, ‘Law & Order’, ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’, and ‘Law & Order: SVU’. Additionally, she featured in ‘HBO’s Six Feet Under’ and ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’.

In “The Penguin,” the character, Francis Cobb, shows signs of aging and struggles with some aspects of her mental abilities. However, based on previews, it appears she exerts a significant impact on Oz’s rise to becoming a gangster in his life.

Michael Zegen is Alberto Falcone

Michael Zegen portrays Alberto Falcone, who is the son of Carmine Falcone and Sofia Falcone’s brother. Similar to his on-screen sister Cristin Milioti, Zegen unexpectedly landed a chance to play a “party guest” in an episode of The Sopranos. This opportunity led to a significant role as “Damien Keefe” in Dennis Leary and FX’s Rescue Me TV series, followed by several years collaborating with HBO on the Millennials dramedy How to Make It in America, and the mob drama Boardwalk Empire, where he played a recurring character as notorious 20th-century gangster Ben “Bugsy” Siegel. Zegen has also appeared in a minor storyline on AMC’s The Walking Dead, and starred as the separated spouse of the title character during the run of the popular Amazon series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

At the start of “The Penguin”, Alberto Falcone emerges as a competitor aiming to inherit his father’s business empire following his demise.

Michael Kelly is Johnny Viti

Michael Kelly portrays Johnny Viti, the deputy head of the Falcone Crime Syndicate. Known for his long-standing career as a character actor, he’s famously recognized for his part as political operator “Doug Stamper” in Netflix’s House of Cards. Among other significant roles, he played “CJ” in Zack Snyder’s remake of Dawn of the Dead; appeared in the sports biopic Invincible, featuring Mark Wahlberg; took on the role of Daily Planet reporter Steve Lombard in Snyder’s Superman reboot, Man of Steel; and most recently, assumed a crucial part as a mediator between Transformers and G.I. Joe in the final scene for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

In the pecking order of the mafia, Johnny Viiti finds himself in a challenging spot at the start, attempting to assert his extensive background as underboss, but facing stiff competition from Carmine Falcone’s kin who are also laying claims.

Carmen Ejogo is Eve Karlo

Carmen Ejogo portrays “Eve Karlo” in The Penguin and is particularly famous for her performances in suspenseful movies such as Alien: Covenant, It Comes at Night, Alex Cross (2012), and The Purge: Anarchy. She has also delivered award-worthy acting in biographical films like Roman J. Israel Esq. and Selma. Many fans will also recall her as the President of the Wizarding World, Seraphina Picquery, who made her debut in the Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve found myself immersed in The Penguin, where my character, Eve Karlo, is no stranger to the city’s underbelly. Interestingly enough, comic book enthusiasts have pointed out that “Karlo” shares a last name with a familiar Batman baddie – Basil Karlo, the original Clayface.

The Penguin airs on HBO and streams on Max.