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Farrell Says Resisted ‘Sopranos’ Rewatch Ahead of ‘Penguin’ Mob Role 

Actor Colin Farrell presenting the Emmy award for "Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" during the 76th annual Emmy Awards ceremony held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA, 15 September 2024. (EPA)
Actor Colin Farrell presenting the Emmy award for "Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" during the 76th annual Emmy Awards ceremony held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA, 15 September 2024. (EPA)
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Farrell Says Resisted ‘Sopranos’ Rewatch Ahead of ‘Penguin’ Mob Role 

Actor Colin Farrell presenting the Emmy award for "Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" during the 76th annual Emmy Awards ceremony held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA, 15 September 2024. (EPA)
Actor Colin Farrell presenting the Emmy award for "Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" during the 76th annual Emmy Awards ceremony held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA, 15 September 2024. (EPA)

Colin Farrell resisted rewatching iconic mob drama "The Sopranos" while preparing for his turn as a gangster boss in "The Penguin," the Irish star of the new Batman universe series told AFP on Tuesday.

"The Penguin" chronicles the gritty rise of a low-level player in the criminal underworld against a backdrop of societal dysfunction in grimy Gotham City, with New York City used for filming.

Farrell's anti-hero character, Oz Cobb who is dubbed the Penguin for his unsteady walk from a mishandled case of club foot, has drawn media comparisons to the larger-than-life mob boss Tony Soprano played by James Gandolfini.

Farrell, who spent hours a day being transformed into a grizzled, chunky villain, said he had drawn on "anything I ever read or seen about that world" for inspiration.

"To be honest I didn't need references because the script was just -- you use your imagination -- we're given fantastic writing," he told AFP at the New York premiere Tuesday.

"There's no doubt anything I've ever seen (inspired me) ... from Untouchables to Sopranos -- I'm not comparing myself (to the Sopranos). It inhabits a similar world. No (I didn't rewatch it) -- that would mess with me, why would I do that? That would mess with me because I'm very susceptible to influence" he said.

"All those films that I have seen in my past are part of my Rolodex of what I now own as my imagination."

"The Penguin" is the latest of several productions set in the Batman universe, but without the presence of the eponymous hero.

This eight-episode DC Studios series follows Matt Reeves's film "The Batman," starring Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader.

"The Penguin" airs on HBO and streams on Max from Thursday.

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Entertainment

Meghann Fahy and Eve Hewson's 'Overnight Success' is More than a Decade in the Making

Meghann Fahy, left, and Eve Hewson pose for a portrait to promote "The Perfect Couple" on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Meghann Fahy, left, and Eve Hewson pose for a portrait to promote "The Perfect Couple" on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Meghann Fahy and Eve Hewson's 'Overnight Success' is More than a Decade in the Making

Meghann Fahy, left, and Eve Hewson pose for a portrait to promote "The Perfect Couple" on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Meghann Fahy, left, and Eve Hewson pose for a portrait to promote "The Perfect Couple" on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Meghann Fahy and Eve Hewson, two of the stars of Netflix's whodunit “The Perfect Couple,” have news for you if you want to call them breakouts: They've been working in this business for more than a decade.
Fahy made her TV debut in 2009 in an episode of “Gossip Girl.” Hewson's first big film role was in 2011's “This Must Be the Place.” They do concede, however, that it's recent TV roles — “The White Lotus” for Fahy and “Bad Sisters” for Hewson — that have led to new frontiers of opportunity, The Associated Press said.
Susanne Bier, who directed “The Perfect Couple,” says both Fahy and Hewson are “going to be big stars.”
“They certainly have proper, profound star quality, Both of them in very different ways,” Bier says. “Both are incredibly creative, incredibly smart, and also have a impressive insight as to who they are. You can be a great actor or actress and not necessarily really know who you are yourself. And they do.”
Hewson, 33, whose dad is U2 front man Bono, may have grown up in a famous family but she's now in demand in her own right. She will next be seen in a second season of “Bad Sisters, ” out in November. She's in Noah Baumbach's next film, alongside Adam Sandler, George Clooney and Riley Keough. She's also been cast in Steven Spielberg's next production and is set to star opposite Murray Bartlett in a racing series for Hulu.
Fahy, 34, is in production on a limited series with Julianne Moore and Milly Alcock called “Sirens,” written by Molly Smith Metzler (“Maid”) for Netflix. She also has two films in the can with Josh O'Connor (“The Crown,” “Challengers”) and Brandon Sklenar (“It Ends With Us”).
The two actors spoke candidly with The Associated Press about this phase of their careers. This interview has been condensed for clarity and brevity.
AP: You've both had popular, zeitgeisty TV shows in recent years. TV fans are particularly passionate. Have you experienced any interesting interactions with fans? HEWSON: It’s actually really fun to experience because even when we were in Cape Cod shooting “The Perfect Couple,” I would go to the local shop to get my groceries and little old ladies would follow me down the aisle and be like, “Excuse me. Are you that girl from that ‘Sisters’ show?” Who knew that they were watching it? It doesn’t change my life, so it doesn’t bother me, but when someone comes up to me and says that they love the show, especially when it’s someone unexpected, I’m like, “Oh, cool.”
FAHY: It’s not happening so much to me that it feels like a huge imposition or anything. I feel like I’ve been really lucky. A lot of the people that I’ve met who have been a fan of “The White Lotus,” or whatever, they’re really sweet people. And, I think, part of why we do this is because we want to tell stories that people can connect to and play out scenarios for themselves. So I think it’s always really nice.
AP: What's it like to now be a part of conversations about whom to watch? FAHY: Part of it feels really nice because you work really, really, really hard for a really long time — maybe that’s not how it happens for a lot of people — but I feel like we’ve both been doing this for a minute. So, of course, it feels really good. but I try not to like dwell on any of it. I try to acknowledge it and be like, “Oh, that’s so nice.” And then just kind of keep going.
HEWSON: You hear so many stories of people who were like, “I walked into my first audition and I just became a star.” Or, there’s this element of being an actor where people don’t want to tell you how hard they work. They want it to look like it’s really easy. But we've been doing this for a long time. People just don’t really tell those stories. It's usually about the one that was found on the street.
FAHY: Yeah. You took 15 years to become an overnight success.
AP: Do you notice you're now treated differently by people in the industry? FAHY: Yeah, but I always think that nobody ever knows who I am. It’s always very embarrassing. I embarrass myself in those moments. I don’t always feel like I fit in those rooms.
HEWSON: What’s nice is, I’ve spent so long going into a room and people just being like, “OK,” and act like they’re just not getting it. I know at least like I have work that people understand, what I’m doing a little bit more so they get me as an actor.
FAHY: It’s like a different level of respect.