Colin Farrell is far from the first person to make his mark playing famous Batman rogue The Penguin in HBO’s aptly named new series “The Penguin.”
Of all the superheroes, Batman’s villains are the most recognizable. Among them The Penguin stands as possibly the most recognizable behind only the Joker. That’s led to quite a number of actors getting a crack at the character over the years beginning way back in the mid-60s.
There have been a few one-off performances in TV or animated movies where people lent their voice, but these 10 performers made their mark on the character especially felt. Before you get too deep into “The Penguin,” go back and appreciate the long history of the Batman villain on the big and small screen.
Burgess Meredith
“Batman” (1966-1968)
Burgess Meredith was the first actor to put his mark on the Batman villain. He hammed it up across from Adam West in “Batman” from 1966-1968.
Ted Knight
“The Adventures of Batman” (1968-1969)
When Batman went animated for the first time in the late ’60s, Ted Knight was the first actor to lend his voice to the role of Oswald Cobblepot. He voiced the character in “The Adventures of Batman” from 1968-1969.
Danny DeVito
“Batman Returns” (1992)
Danny DeVito joined Tim Burton’s darker take on the Caped Crusader in “Batman Returns.” His version of The Penguin famously gnawed off people’s noses.
Paul Williams
“Batman: The Animated Series” (1992-1995)
Singer-songwriter Paul Williams voiced The Penguin in the critically acclaimed “Batman: The Animated Series” from 1992-1995.
Tom Kenny
“The Batman” (2004-2008)
Tom Kenny – who most famously voices Spongebob Squarepants himself – lent his voice to the character in “The Batman” animated series that ran from 2004-2008.
Stephen Root
“Batman: The Brave and the Bold” (2008-2011)
“Batman: The Brave and the Bold” debuted in 2008 and this time Stephen Root took over voicing duties for The Penguin. Root is perhaps most famous for his role in “Office Space” but more recently seen in HBO’s “Barry.”
Nolan North
“Batman: Arkham City” (2011), “Batman: Arkham Knight” (2015)
Renowned voice actor Nolan North has voiced characters from Nathan Drake in “Uncharted” to Desmond Miles in “Assassin’s Creed.” He took a turn as Oswald Cobblepot in the “Batman: Arkham City” and “Batman: Arkham Knight” video games.
Robin Lord Taylor
“Gotham” (2014-2019)
“Gotham” spent most of it’s run showing the earliest days of Gotham City’s most famous villains. Robin Lord Taylor’s depiction of The Penguin turned out to be one of the strongest aspects of the show.
Wayne Knight
“Harley Quinn” (2019-Present)
Wayne Knight handles the birdman of Gotham in Max’s raunchy animated take on the criminals of Batman’s rogues gallery in “Harley Quinn.”
Colin Farrell
“The Batman” (2022), “The Penguin” (2024)
Colin Farrell put in an unrecognizable performance as The Penguin in 2022’s “The Batman.” He’s reprising his role for the HBO series “The Penguin” and will be back for “The Batman Part II.”
