Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti Talk Colin's Unrecognizable Transformation for The Penguin

Summary

Summary of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" Episode Featuring Colin Farrell and Kristen Milioti

Release Date: December 31, 2024

In this engaging episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, host Jimmy Fallon welcomes acclaimed actor Colin Farrell and talented actress Kristen Milioti. The conversation delves into Colin’s transformative role as The Penguin, his experiences in Hollywood, and Kristen’s journey in the entertainment industry. The episode is structured into distinct sections, each highlighting key discussions, insights, and memorable moments from the interview.

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1. Introduction and Achievements

The episode kicks off with Jimmy Fallon introducing Colin Farrell, who shares his excitement about recent accolades.

• Colin Farrell discusses his Hollywood Walk of Fame star:

  “[00:32] Colin Farrell: I run Hollywood Boulevard a few times a week.”

• Celebrating a successful year:

  “[00:20] Colin Farrell: Congrats on everything. Yeah, thanks. What a year you’ve had.”

Colin expresses pride and a touch of shyness about his achievements, particularly highlighting his son Henry’s excitement over his new star.

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2. Meeting Steven Spielberg

Colin reminisces about a pivotal moment early in his career when he met the legendary director Steven Spielberg.

• Colin recounts the meeting:

  “[02:06] Colin Farrell: I sat down with Steven for 20 minutes.”

• A memorable gesture from Spielberg:

  “[02:10] Colin Farrell: And he shared… two sardine sandwiches.”

The anecdote showcases Spielberg’s warm and quirky personality, leaving a lasting impression on Colin, who humorously mentions how the experience contributed to his professional journey.

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3. Transformation into The Penguin

A significant portion of the conversation centers on Colin’s preparation for his role as The Penguin, detailing the extensive makeup process and character development.

• Discussing makeup transformation:

  “[04:04] Colin Farrell: Even though I gave those things up… but when you look at your critics.”

• The rigorous makeup routine:

  “[04:07] Colin Farrell: Three hours every morning.”

• Emotional and physical transformation:

  “[04:16] Colin Farrell: That’s got to be 43 hours in, 40 minutes out. Like being reborn.”

Colin emphasizes the dedication required to embody The Penguin, highlighting how the makeup not only altered his appearance but also helped him dive deep into the character’s psyche.

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4. Behind the Scenes of The Penguin

The discussion moves to the intricacies of filming in New York City and the collaborative efforts behind creating The Penguin's character.

• Filming challenges in NYC:

  “[05:33] Colin Farrell: Magic being in the city, man.”

• Accentuating the character’s authenticity:

  “[05:38] Colin Farrell: Jessica Drake, my dialect coach…”

Colin explains how the vibrant energy of New York City adds to the filming experience, while also detailing his work with dialect coaches to perfect The Penguin’s unique accent, ensuring the character is both believable and compelling.

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5. Kristen Milioti’s Contribution and Experiences

Kristen Milioti joins the conversation, sharing her own experiences in the industry, including her audition for the musical Wicked and her role alongside Colin in The Penguin.

• Kristen’s Wicked audition story:

  “[07:22] Kristen Milioti: Okay. But did you audition for Wicked?”

  “[09:59] Kristen Milioti: It was disgusting. It was like, no, no, it was… horrible.”

• Collaborating with Colin:

  “[13:14] Kristen Milioti: I associate… like, how was your weekend?”

Kristen recounts the nervousness and challenges of her Wicked audition, culminating in a humorous and humbling experience. She also discusses working closely with Colin Farrell, highlighting the seamless blend of their on-screen characters and the behind-the-scenes camaraderie.

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6. The Penguin’s Impact and Audience Reception

The pair discuss the anticipation surrounding The Penguin and the overwhelming response from fans.

• Premiere excitement:

  “[14:53] Colin Farrell: Whoa. Come on. The Penguin premieres September 19th on HBO.”

• Fan reactions:

  “[12:38] Kristen Milioti: It’s crazy. I didn’t finish the movie at first.”

Kristen describes the electrifying atmosphere at Comic-Con during the trailer premiere, where 6,000 Batman enthusiasts eagerly received The Penguin. Both actors express their gratitude and excitement for the character’s reception, underscoring the project's success and the positive feedback from the audience.

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7. Closing Remarks and Teasers

As the interview wraps up, Colin and Kristen hint at future projects and share lighthearted moments about maintaining secrecy around The Penguin.

• Maintaining secrecy:

  “[14:08] Kristen Milioti: Yes. And then…

  “[14:19] Colin Farrell: You do. … Good friends.”

• Teasing future developments:

  “[14:37] Kristen Milioti: … So I play Sofia Falcone, and Oz and I battle it out for who’s going to run Gotham.”

The conversation concludes with a teaser about the dynamic between Sofia Falcone and Oz in Gotham, setting the stage for viewers to anticipate the complex narrative of power struggles within the series.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon offers an in-depth look into Colin Farrell’s transformative role as The Penguin and Kristen Milioti’s experiences in the entertainment industry. Through candid conversations and humorous anecdotes, viewers gain valuable insights into the dedication required for such iconic roles and the collaborative spirit that brings these characters to life. The episode effectively captures the excitement surrounding The Penguin and leaves the audience eagerly anticipating its premiere.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Colin Farrell on Hollywood Boulevard:

  “[00:32] Colin Farrell: I run Hollywood Boulevard a few times a week.”

• Meeting Steven Spielberg:

  “[02:06] Colin Farrell: I sat down with Steven for 20 minutes.”

• On the makeup transformation:

  “[04:16] Colin Farrell: That’s got to be 43 hours in, 40 minutes out. Like being reborn.”

• Kristen Milioti on her audition:

  “[09:59] Kristen Milioti: It was disgusting. It was like, no, no, it was… horrible.”

• Anticipation for The Penguin:

  “[14:53] Colin Farrell: Whoa. Come on. The Penguin premieres September 19th on HBO.”

These quotes encapsulate the essence of the discussions, highlighting both the personal experiences of the guests and the professional triumphs that define their careers.

Transcript

[Jimmy Fallon]

You're listening to a special Fallon flashback episode of the Tonight Show. And now, here he is, Jimmy Fallon.

[Colin Farrell]

Colin Farrell is here. I have so much to talk to you about.

Let's get in, man.

I want to get into all of it.

Since the water's warm, let's get in.

Congrats on everything. Yeah, thanks. What a year you've had. You got nominated for an Oscar for the Banshees. You got your own star in the Hollywood Walk of the Fame.

Oh, yeah.

That's a big deal.

That is a big deal.

Come on. Yeah. Are you excited?

I, I, I. Yes, my son was very excited about it.

Henry.

He got super excited about it. And I'd be a little more shy, but yes. I mean, I run Hollywood Boulevard a few times a week.

You do?

Yeah. At night. Yeah, I go on night runs down Hollywood Boulevard.

Do you know where your star is going to be?

I don't, but I hope it's not outside, like a. Yeah, I know there's some shading.

Yeah.

This is dodgy places. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

No, it'll be fine.

Even a vape store would be fine.

You'll take it.

Even though I gave those things up. Yeah, yeah.

But when you're looking at your critics.

For the rest of your life, when you're. People get to walk on my name and spit on me and.

No, no, no. But when you get, when you see this and hear these stories about you getting nominated for an Oscar, you get your own star. Did you think, oh, this is, this is my career path?

No. Anytime you're part of like, or even the Oscars was just to be part of the history of the film industry is really exciting.

Yeah.

I mean, meeting Steven Spielberg for the first time was. I was 23 or 4.

What was that for?

It was 4. He did a film called Minority Report about 20 years ago.

Yeah.

I just made myself younger than I am about 28 years ago. And, And I met him. He was shooting something else.

What's he like?

I was told, lovely.

He is.

Yeah. And I was told, just sit in the trailer. Go out to this studio on this day. He wants to meet you maybe for a part in a film with Tom Cruise. And I thought, Jesus. So I went out. I decided to accept the meeting.

Yeah.

And I went out and I sat in the trailer and then the door opened and in walked. I mean, I grew up watching everything. Indiana Jones, ET Close Encounter, the Third Kind.

Oh, he's unbelievable. He's the coolest.

Such a huge part of my upbringing.

Absolutely.

And then he walked With a plate and two sardine sandwiches on the plate. Random.

Wow.

Sardine. Charming.

Sardine sandwich.

And he shared. Yeah. And I said, oh, sardines. I said, do you like sardines? They're a bit of a deal breaker for some people. And he said. And he.

They are a little bit.

He said, yeah, yeah. Omega oils. Good. Fish oils are good for the. Whatever. Let Stephen's secret out of the bag. It's all about the fish oils, really. Yeah. And he said, you want a sandwich? And I said, yeah. Okay. And I sat down with Spielberg for 20 minutes.

That's the funniest thing.

I sat down with Steven for 20 minutes.

And you ate a sardine sandwich with Steven's.

I ate one of his. Yeah. He gave me 50% of his lunch. He had two pieces of toast with sardines squashed onto them. And I had a sardine sandwich, and he ate a sardine sandwich. We both left his trailer smelling like. But I got a job. I got a job and a sardine sandwich out of it.

Yeah.

Yeah. So that was a moment. Like, meeting him was a huge pit. But I get pinch me moments all the time, you know. Still. Yeah.

I was talking earlier in the show, and I went to go see Batman with the Batman. And I loved it and I thought it was great. And Zoe was great. And Robert Pattinson.

Yeah. Everyone did wonderfully.

Fantastic. I left and my buddy goes, colin Farrell was great. And I go, yeah, huh? Like, Colin Farrell was not in this movie at all. And buried. Dude, you crushed. You got me, buddy?

Yeah. Mike Marino got you. He's the makeup artist who designed the whole thing.

Acting the whole thing. I've never. What a performance, buddy. It was unbelievable.

You ever done anything like that? Have you ever been buried beneath? Thank you.

Look at this. This is insane. Yeah, look at this. Look at this.

That was actually. This is.

Dude, that's ins.

Yeah. I still look at it and go, that's mad. Yeah. Reminds me of the old days. That's what I felt like. I didn't ever look like that, but that's what I felt like back in the day. But, yeah. Amazing what they created and amazing to be able to get the chance.

They did such a great job here.

You disappear in a second as soon as the makeup goes on, which took three hours every morning.

Yeah. Was that right?

Yeah.

It makes you get into character, huh?

Big time.

Yeah.

Those three hours sitting in the chair, we play music. Mike and the team. And.

And what's it like getting out of the makeup?

That's got to be 43 hours in, 40 minutes out. Like being reborn.

It is.

I'm not joking you.

Every, you can't help it. No, that's right.

Every, every night the thing would come off the, the, the head that start with the wig and the skull cap and then the this piece and then that piece. And by the end of it it was just like, whoa. Yeah, yeah.

And you got the accent down. What did you base the accent on?

The character Jessica Drake, my dialect coach I worked with, she has a whole library of various accents from all over the world based on interviews. She's done an interview, she's lifted off YouTube. And so we listened to a bunch of accents. And then there was some apartment building manager from the 80s that she spoke to and did an interview with. And he just had the lovely, very thick New York accent. But it was really lovely and it was full of character. And he used to keep talking about gefilte fish. I never even knew what a gefilte fish was. I still haven't tasted it, but I know what it is now.

Yeah, gefiltelta fish.

Gefilte fish became kind of an anchor. If Jessica felt my accent was disappearing a little bit or I needed to anchor it again, she'd come up and she'd go, gelta fish.

If you say gelta fish, it get you right into.

Yeah, GE fish.

Yeah, it's, it's, it's just unbelievable. I, I, I, I just love. And what's it like filming in the middle of all this magic New York City?

Yeah. I mean, you have to record everything after the fact because the car horns beeping and sirens. But it's magic being in the city, man.

Cuz when it works, it works.

Oh, it's just, but it always works. And you got to get in step with this, you know, Cuz film crews, all of us cast people who make movies, whatever area they approach it from, you know, they can come into places and take over and they come into neighborhoods and take over. I work in films and I'll still curse it if they're in my neighborhood and be like, Jesus Christ, I just want to get to the house. I live over there.

Yeah, hurry up in the scenery.

Don't dig but here you got it. It's like working with animals, children, they're the boss, you know, it's great. Everyone else has to take a back seat. And New York's like that. New York is the boss. You come in, you're at its whims, you're on its pace, its timeline. And it's just so full of life and full of energy. I mean, they built extraordinary sets for this as well. Like, the production design was amazing, but anytime you're in a practical location, it's just sweet.

What do we tell everyone? How do we set up? What the penguins about.

It's about. I don't know. How do we set up? Yeah, it's about. It's about. A lot of. It's about Oz Cobb's rise after. At the end of the Batman film, Carmine Falcone's character, who's. Who's the main criminal lord in Gotham, his character is taken out and there's a vacuum for power, and there's a struggle in Gotham for power supremacy. And it's about Oz's rise to that, which coincides with Sophia Falcone, Carmon's daughter, getting released from Arkham and her trying to figure out what her place is in the world as well now. And Kristen Miliardi, who you had on the other night, who's amazing in the show.

Kristin Milioti, welcome back to the show. Thanks for having me. Everything good?

[Kristen Milioti]

Pretty good.

[Colin Farrell]

Yeah.

[Kristen Milioti]

Yeah.

[Colin Farrell]

Things are going pretty well. Yeah, pretty good. Oh, I wanted to ask you quickly about this. I heard this story. I don't know if it's true or not, and if it's not true, we can cut it out of the show.

[Kristen Milioti]

Okay.

[Colin Farrell]

But did you audition for Wicked?

[Kristen Milioti]

I did. I sure did.

[Colin Farrell]

You did?

[Kristen Milioti]

Yes. Wicked is, like, one of my favorite musicals. I was there the night it reopened after the pandemic. Like, I love Wicked.

[Colin Farrell]

Yeah.

[Kristen Milioti]

And they called me and asked if I would want to audition for Elphaba, which is the Green witch.

[Colin Farrell]

Oh, my gosh.

[Kristen Milioti]

Yeah. Very exciting. But I was like, really? Do I have to sing the like.

[Colin Farrell]

Like, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah. The commercial. Yes, of course.

[Kristen Milioti]

I say that's the part. It's like the best. You know, I'm sure everyone here has seen Wicked. It's like the best. It's end of act one of all time.

[Colin Farrell]

It's powerful.

[Kristen Milioti]

She flies and she goes. And so I was like. I was like, yeah, yeah. Oh, my God, yes, of course. Will they need the like. And they were like, yeah, let's check. So they actually will need the. And I was like, okay, okay.

[Colin Farrell]

Pressure's on.

[Kristen Milioti]

Got it. So I had two weeks, and this was also my first in person audition since COVID So, like, I hadn't been in a room with people anyway.

[Colin Farrell]

Little rusty, Little rusty.

[Kristen Milioti]

Little rusty. Little shaky. Not great for singing. Not great for high notes.

[Colin Farrell]

No.

[Kristen Milioti]

And I just found Myself, like, walking around my apartment, it was like the Telltale Heart. Like, all I could hear was like. And anytime I would talk to someone, I would, like, be like 500 miles away. Just like, quietly thinking of like, like over and over and over.

[Colin Farrell]

Like, I gotta nail it.

[Kristen Milioti]

And then the big day comes and they're like, you know, oh, and they're so nice and they're lovely. And they're like, come on in. Oh my gosh. So nice to meet you. Blah, blah. And I'm like, it's so nice to meet you too.

[Colin Farrell]

Your actual voice.

[Kristen Milioti]

Yeah. And you can feel like I can just feel myself being like, uh huh. And so what do you want to begin with? And we start singing through the songs. And I'm like, doing it like we're singing the songs. We're like, getting through. We're hitting When I Meet the wizard, we're hitting not that Girl, like all these things. And then they were like, are you ready for the big boy? And I was like, yeah, I'm ready. Yeah, let's do it. I can do this. And they start the music and this, like, calmness washes over me and I'm like, oh, this is gonna be like a 90s movie. Like, it's gonna be Slow Mo, like League of Their Own. Like, I'm actually gonna be able to do it.

[Colin Farrell]

Wow.

[Kristen Milioti]

Like, I think I'm gonna do it. I think I'm gonna hit this crazy note that I've been obsessing over. And I, like, opened my mouth wide, I took a deep breath, and the sound that escaped me is something I will hear on my deathbed. Like, I will never not hear what I did in that room.

[Colin Farrell]

Really?

[Kristen Milioti]

It was disgusting. It was like, no, no, it was. It was like when you hear coyotes attack as a group. Like, it was horrible. It was like there was an injury. It sounded terrible. And then the worst part is that there was like this silence that followed. And especially like, oh, my God. And I knew what I'd done and they knew what I'd done. And they had these like, sort of like paint plastered smiles. And they were so nice. And they were like, kristen, thank you so much. And I was like, oh, no. Yeah, like, yeah, exactly.

[Colin Farrell]

Yeah.

[Kristen Milioti]

That being said, I mean, I cannot. I am so excited for that movie. And specifically Cynthia Erivo.

[Colin Farrell]

Cynthia Erivo got cast.

[Kristen Milioti]

Is who should be singing that. Like, Cynthia Erivo.

[Colin Farrell]

It's not like, yeah, it's like, oh, my God.

[Kristen Milioti]

She. I saw.

[Colin Farrell]

Oh, I played the guitar to get the audition.

Yeah.

We gave Jimi Hendrix, like, oh, my God.

[Kristen Milioti]

She, like. I saw her in the Color Purple, and when she sings, like, you know, it's like a spirit. I leapt to my feet every time. I cannot wait to hear.

[Colin Farrell]

But you are phenomenal, too. I want to hear you sing. I used to do a musical.

[Kristen Milioti]

No, no, no, no. But please.

[Colin Farrell]

You're great. You know you are.

[Kristen Milioti]

I want to do.

[Colin Farrell]

All right. You should do a musical.

[Kristen Milioti]

I'm dying to do a musical. I don't think that, like, my voice necessarily fits the like for that one. Yeah, like that. You know, that's. I wish it did.

[Colin Farrell]

I want to talk about the Penguin. Sure.

[Kristen Milioti]

Okay.

[Colin Farrell]

It's on hbo. This is for. Everyone's buzzing about this. Talking about this. You debuted this at Comic Con in San Diego this summer.

[Kristen Milioti]

Yeah.

[Colin Farrell]

What was that like?

[Kristen Milioti]

Oh, my gosh. I mean, it was outrageous. It was like getting hit by a Mack truck in the best way. I mean, I'm such a huge Batman fan, and I've been, like, wanting to play a Batman villain my entire life, and I grew up on these movies, and it's, like, wildly profound and moving to me. And so to be in a room.

[Colin Farrell]

This is like, how many people are we talking?

[Kristen Milioti]

6,000.

[Colin Farrell]

6,000 people that love Batman.

[Kristen Milioti]

That love Batman.

[Colin Farrell]

Oh, yeah. Don't mess with my Batman.

[Kristen Milioti]

Yeah. And we show them this trailer that they'd showed me before, which is like. It was like. They love dropping trailers. Like, well, this is a new trailer, but it shows my character in Arkham, which was like, you know, for someone who loves Batman, when they put that uniform on me, I was like, oh, my God, it's canon. Like, you know, so excited. So to get to watch 6,000 people. To get to watch that with 6,000 people was like, my blood was seltzer. I was like, like, floating.

[Colin Farrell]

Your blood was seltzer? My blood was seltzer.

[Kristen Milioti]

And then I, like, had to sleep for three days afterward. Cause it just. It was like, the most fabulous adrenal and Rush.

[Colin Farrell]

I have to say, when Colin Farrell did the Penguin and the Batman, it was unbelievable. I didn't know it was him.

[Kristen Milioti]

It's crazy.

[Colin Farrell]

I didn't finish the movie.

[Kristen Milioti]

It's outrageous, everything.

[Colin Farrell]

Normally, if I see it, I can kind of see it. I go, that person's going like, they're wearing a rubber mask. And you go, yeah, I get it.

[Kristen Milioti]

Totally.

[Colin Farrell]

I did not understand. What do you mean? He was in that movie?

[Kristen Milioti]

Yeah. And up close, you know, it's so real. It moves.

[Colin Farrell]

It's like, this is Colin Farrell, one of my favorite actors. Oh, my God. Extraordinary. Yeah. And then one of our best. This is him as Ozkob as the Peng.

[Kristen Milioti]

There he is. There's the guy.

[Colin Farrell]

No. It's unbelievable. Look at this.

[Kristen Milioti]

It's unbelievable. And such a testament to Mike Marino who did that makeup.

[Colin Farrell]

What's it like talking to this guy and then this guy?

[Kristen Milioti]

Well, it's interesting because I'd only met Colin. This Colin? Yeah, the one. A few times in person, and we shot together for eight months, and I only knew Oz. And it's so strange because I associate. I know those eyes and that voice so well from just being like, how was your weekend? You know, whatever. And so when I see him outside of that, it's, like, very jarring because Oz is more of a real person who I've spent more time with, than Colin. That's odd. And it feels like someone has, like, Freaky Fridayed or body swapped. It's like something's, like, wrong. It feels like when you've been, like, riding a bicycle all day, and then, like, you get off the bicycle and you're like, whoa. Like, I saw him a couple times outside of makeup, and I. It was like a cat with socks on. I didn't love it. Cause it's just so. It's so jarring.

[Colin Farrell]

But when you do these, you're not allowed to tell anyone anything. It's all secretive.

[Kristen Milioti]

Yes.

[Colin Farrell]

I mean, are you good at that, or do you do.

[Kristen Milioti]

I mean. No. I mean, I probably. I mean, I like.

[Colin Farrell]

Well, you can't even say. Can you say who I mean?

[Kristen Milioti]

I like, tell my friends.

[Colin Farrell]

You do.

[Kristen Milioti]

I know, but you got for you.

[Colin Farrell]

Good. I'm glad somebody admitted. Finally, they admitted. You tell your friends.

[Kristen Milioti]

Tell your friends. I mean, I'm like, don't tell anyone.

[Colin Farrell]

Yeah. And they did.

They didn't.

[Kristen Milioti]

You know, and they didn't.

[Colin Farrell]

Yeah. Good friends.

[Kristen Milioti]

Yeah.

[Colin Farrell]

What can we say about this without giving too much away? Well, we're all your friends.

[Kristen Milioti]

Yeah. Yeah. We're all my friends. Right. I would say that. So I play Sofia Falcone, and Oz and I battle it out for who's going to run Gotham. We're like each other's villains, and it sort of follows us as we battle for control of the city.

[Colin Farrell]

Whoa. Come on. The Penguin premieres September 19th on HBO. And, Ma.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thanks for listening to the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon. Don't forget to subscribe to get the latest episodes weekday mornings, wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon weeknights on NBC and streaming on.