Colin Farrell wished to see how convincing his bodily transformation was to play Oswald “Oz” Cobb for “The Penguin,” so he went out in public – to Starbucks.

“We went to a Starbucks after we did the primary make-up check,” Farrell just lately revealed at a FYC occasion for the HBO restricted sequence. The actor is unrecognizable beneath prosthetics that pockmark his pores and skin and utterly change the form of his chin and nostril, together with a padded go well with. He additionally put in his order utilizing his character’s thick New York accent and walked together with his signature limp.  

“Nothing occurred,” Farrell revealed. “I don’t know, I assumed individuals would possibly stare a bit extra. We’re a bunch of starers.”

The actor provides that the primary time he noticed himself within the full make-up by prosthetics designer Mike Marino for the film “The Batman,” he couldn’t cease staring. “You ever seen the YouTubes of a cat seeing itself within the mirror for the primary time? It was like that,” he mentioned. “And I by no means totally bought used to wanting within the mirror and seeing that picture wanting again at me.”

That first make-up check happened on the Warner Bros lot and Farrell remembers it vividly. “I’ve had extraordinary days over 25 years of being an actor, however it was some of the terribly thrilling days,” he famous.

The FYC occasion was held this previous Sunday on the Paramount lot and featured two Q&A panels bookending a screening of the sequence finale. The primary panel targeted on the below-the-line crafts, that includes Marino, EP and showrunner Lauren LeFranc, manufacturing designer Kalina Ivanov, director Craig Zobel, director Helen Shaver, VFX Supervisor Johnny Han, and cinematographer Jonathan Freeman. She second panel featured primarily actors from the sequence – Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz and Deidre O’Connell – together with LeFranc and EP Dylan Clark. Following the occasion, friends have been handled to New York-themed meals like Nathan’s sizzling canine, Reuben sandwiches and cannoli.

(Spoilers to observe!) Farrell additionally spoke concerning the tragedies that shaped Oz’s life, significantly how as a baby his brothers have been drowned after he locked them in a sewer throughout a rainstorm. Farrell tried to motive that maybe he didn’t imply to kill them. “He’s not, he’s not an architectural engineer. I don’t suppose he knew the water was going to rise,” he mentioned. “You sort of want a monsoon, by the best way – I’d get into what it takes for the water to rise 20 ft in a spot that’s not air sealed.”

Farrell than laughed earlier than admitting, “Yeah, I’m nonetheless attempting to justify him. There’s little doubt his brothers are not on this planet because of one thing that he did. However he was only a actually advanced character.”

Folks have been additionally upset by the sequence ending, the place Oz kills his younger protegee Vic (Feliz) as a result of he realizes any attachment to somebody makes him weak. Requested in the event that they have been conscious how offended individuals have been, Feliz joked, “Yeah, I noticed the tweets. Folks have been upset.” To which O’Connell quipped, “However he’s not an architectural engineer!” Farrell laughed, admitting Oz couldn’t name that dying an accident: “I knew how that one was gonna work out.”

Feliz mentioned that he was really a bit relieved the episode bought such a response, as he initially anxious his character can be perceived as boring. “Lauren had instructed me what was going to be occurring within the eighth episode,” he famous. “I used to be afraid that no person would, no person would actually care if he died.”

Farrell shortly corrected his younger co-star, praising, “Your work concretized the depth of the villainy of the entire character by the top the present, as a result of the viewers cared a lot about you.” He added that in some ways, Feliz had essentially the most difficult function of the sequence. “He was the ethical heart of the movie. He was the one sort of good aspect fixed within the eight hours. You had the toughest half, and also you have been extraordinary. The viewers cared a lot about you.”

Farrell added that he had an on the spot response when he knew Oz would kill Vic. “Once I noticed it, I used to be like, ‘Oh God, is {that a} bridge too far?’” he admits. “And I do know it’s solely make-believe however on the set that night time, I used to be in an terrible funk.”

Farrell wasn’t alone. “Everybody beloved Victor,” mentioned LeFranc. “Our entire crew… we have been all tearing up and we have been all horrified. It’s so painful and the 2 of them that night time have been so distinctive in that scene as a result of it’s really a stunning second earlier than Oz does what he does.”