The Penguin: cast and where you have seen HBO actors before - including Colin Farrell

• The Penguin features a mix of Hollywood stars and TV regulars. 
• Colin Farrell has come back to play the role of Oswald Cobb after appearing in The Batman. 
• But where do you recognise the rest of the cast from? 

The Penguin has become one of the most talked about shows of the year. A spin-off of 2022’s The Batman, the HBO limited series has grown in popularity in the week’s since its debut. 

It features a dazzling cast of big name Hollywood stars and TV faces you will undoubtedly recognise from somewhere. The final episode has aired on HBO and Sky Atlantic - with the series available to binge on Max and Now TV. 

If you have been tuning in week after week - or have caught up just in time - you might recognise many of the actors, but are unsure where from. We have pulled together a handy guide to help you out. 

Who is in the main cast for The Penguin? 

As a spin off from 2022’s The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, this HBO limited series (as is the term du jour in 2024) does feature some returning actors who make the transition from the silver screen to the TV screen. The most obvious of all being Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobb - the titular Penguin. 

Main cast 

• Colin Farrell - Oswal Cobb/ The Penguin 
• Cristin Milioti - Sofia Gigante (née Falcone)
• Rhenzy Feliz - Victor "Vic" Aguilar

Supporting cast

• Deirdre O'Connell - Francis Cobb
• Clancy Brown - Salvatore "Sal" Maroni 
• Carmen Ejogo - Eve Karlo
• Michael Zegen - Alberto Falcone
• Michael Kelly - Johnny Viti
• Mark Strong - Carmine Falcone
• Scott Cohen - Luca Falcone
• Shohreh Aghdashloo - Nadia Maroni
• Theo Rossi - Dr. Julian Rush

Where do I recognise the actors from? 

The cast for The Penguin features not only Hollywood stars - who you are probably more familiar with seeing on the big screen - and actors who have regularly appeared on TV shows throughout the years. If you’ve been tuning in week after week and find yourself wondering ‘hmm where do I know that actor from’, here’s some of the roles they are also known for: 

Colin Farrell 

While he might be unrecognisable beneath all the makeup and prosthetics, Colin Farrell is the actor playing Oz/ The Penguin in the HBO show. It is a name that will probably instantly ring a bell: he has had a long career in the world of Hollywood and has appeared in many films in the 21st century.  

He has had leading roles in films such as In Bruges, The Lobster, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Alexander and The Banshees of Inisherin. Farrell also had a lead role in the second season of True Detective in 2015. 

Cristin Milioti

The actor who plays Sofia in The Penguin is one that you may recognise the face, but you may struggle to remember where from. She played the role of ‘The Mother’ in the final season of How I Met Your Mother - receiving much acclaim for her performances. 

You may also recognise her from the 2020 film Palm Springs - a modern twist on Groundhog Day - in which she starred alongside Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andy Samberg. She also had a role in The Wolf of Wall Street - playing Teresa Petrillo. 

Rhenzy Feliz

One of the breakout stars of The Penguin, Rhenzy Feliz plays Oz’s driver/ enforcer Vic. If his voice sounds familiar it may be because he had a role in the hit Disney film Encanto - he voiced the shapeshifter Camilo Madrigal. 

Feliz also had a leading role in the Marvel TV series Runaways - which ran for three seasons between 2017 and 2019. He played Alex Wilder in the show. 

Clancy Brown

The actor who plays imprisoned mob boss Salvatore Maroni may be one that you can recognise. He has had a long career and played many memorable roles - even if his name alone doesn’t instantly ring a bell. 

You may recognise him from his role as Capt. Byron Hadley in The Shawshank Redemption. While he was the ‘Harbinger’ in the most recent John Wick film - Chapter 4. 

Michael Kelly

The actor who plays Johnny Viti in The Penguin may just be one that seems familiar - but you can’t quite place him. I know that was the case for me, I knew I’d seen him before but couldn’t remember where. 

He is best known for playing Doug Stamper in Netflix’s House of Cards, but he was also Agent Mike November in Amazon’s Jack Ryan series as well. Kelly also appeared in the BBC drama Taboo alongside Tom Hardy - which aired back in 2017. 

Mark Strong

One of the few roles to be recast from The Batman (2022), Mark Strong steps in to play Carmine Falcone in flashbacks - replacing John Turturro who did not return for the series. Strong is likely an actor you recognise as he has had a long and storied career. 

You may recognise him from his role as Merlin the Kingsman and its sequel. But he has appeared in plenty of other films including 1917, Zero Dark Thirty, Stardust and more. 

He was also the voice of the narrator for Who Do You Think You Are from 2006 to 2012. While he is also the star of Temple, which was recently added to Netflix UK. 

Shohreh Aghdashloo

Fans of The Expanse will of course recognise Shohreh Aghdashloo - she played one of the lead roles in the show, Avasarala. But she has had many other roles over the years, including playing Sajida Talfah in the House of Saddam on HBO in 2008 - winning an Emmy for it. 

Her voice may also sound familiar because she has had plenty of voice acting roles over the years. She was the voice of Grayson in the first season of Netflix’s Arcane and was also the dragon in Damsel, alongside Milly Bobby Brown. 

Have you been watching The Penguin? Share your thoughts on the show by emailing me: [email protected].