Arizona Tribune - Farrell says resisted 'Sopranos' rewatch ahead of 'Penguin' mob role

"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.

H.Thompson--AT