Oswald 'Oz' Cobb — the man Gotham will come to call the Penguin — is a mid-level gangster with a limp, a chip on his shoulder, and a bottomless hunger to be more than the help. Picking up days after the events of The Batman, the series follows Oz as he claws his way up through the wreckage of Gotham's crime families, charming and murdering and lying his way toward a throne he was never meant to inherit.
His arc is a vicious American striver's tragedy. Oz is genuinely funny, genuinely wounded, devoted to his ailing mother, and capable of monstrous betrayal in the same breath — a man whose every act of warmth doubles as a calculation. The show dares you to root for him and then shows you the cost, building to choices that reveal exactly how much of himself he'll trade for power.
Colin Farrell, buried under prosthetics, delivers a astonishing, fully transformed performance that turned a comic-book villain into a Sopranos-grade character study.
Key Episodes
S1 E1
After Hours
Oz's power grab begins in the chaos following the Riddler's flooding of Gotham.
S1 E8
A Great or Little Thing
Oz's rise reaches its devastating culmination in the season finale.
Oz Cobb / The Penguin is one of the central figures in The Penguin, a crime/drama series that aired on HBO from 2024. Within the narrative of The Penguin, Oz Cobb / The Penguin serves as a pivotal character whose decisions and relationships drive key story arcs throughout Season 1. The character's journey has been central to many of the show's most memorable and discussed moments.
Portrayed by Colin Farrell, Oz Cobb / The Penguin has become one of the most recognizable characters in modern television. Colin Farrell's performance brings nuance and depth to the role, creating a character that resonates with audiences on both intellectual and emotional levels. Colin Farrell's work has been recognized with 2 major awards, reflecting the critical acclaim their portrayal has received.
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? Frequently Asked Questions
Colin Farrell plays Oz Cobb / the Penguin, reprising his heavily prosthetic-transformed role from The Batman.
Yes — the HBO series is a direct spin-off set in the immediate aftermath of Matt Reeves's 2022 film The Batman.
