The Penguin star Colin Farrell pays tribute to Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix's "extraordinary" comic book performances after winning Golden Globe

Colin Farrell wins Golden Globe for The Penguin
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Penguin actor Colin Farrell has become the third performer to win a Golden Globe for playing a comic book villain, and the first to do so with a TV show. The HBO series sees the Irish actor reprising his role as The Penguin (prosthetics and all) after his debut in 2022's The Batman.

Following his win, Farrell was asked in the awards' press room how it feels to join such a select list of winners, which includes Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix. Both actors were previously honored with a Golden Globe (and an Oscar) for playing the Joker in The Dark Knight and Joker, respectively.

"Don't get me wrong – I loved it – but it got in on me a little bit. By the end of it, I was bitching and moaning to anyone who would listen to me that I fucking wanted it to be finished. I tried to remind them that I had 'grumpy gratitude.' I was still grateful, and still honored," he said.

Mireia Mullor
Contributing Writer

Mireia is a UK-based culture journalist and critic. She previously worked as Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy, and her work as a freelance writer has appeared in WeLoveCinema and Spanish magazines Fotogramas, Esquire, and Elle. She is also a published author, having written a book about Studio Ghibli's 'Kiki's Delivery Service' in 2023. Talking about anime and musicals is the best way to grab her attention.