HBO series The Penguin lead boasts some major star power in its lead — but you'd never know it watching the show.

Colin Farrell's transformation into infamous Gotham City gangster Oz Cobb — better known as Batman nemesis The Penguin — is so complete that he's totally unrecognizable. 

Credit for that goes to Mike Marino, the prosthetics makeup designer and artist who crafted Farrell's look. One of Hollywood's most in-demand makeup artists — his three-decade résumé includes The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, music videos for The Weeknd and the award-winning 2024 film A Different Man — Marino previously worked his magic on Farrell for Matt Reeves's 2022 film The Batman. "We actually filmed the movie in 2020, and Colin's physical appearance had changed, so I had to sort of reinvent the makeup for the show," he says, noting that his focus this time was fashioning a more realistic, refined look for the villain's facial prosthetics.

Going from film to an eight-episode series was a real challenge. "We had the advantage of very dark lighting [for the film], but the show was shot in every possible lighting environment and with extreme closeups," Marino says. "In many aspects, what we are doing is pulling off an elaborate magic trick, so how do we not reveal that this is fake?"

Doing that took nearly three hours in the makeup chair. Marino, who designed the makeup in clay and then cast individual pieces into silicone, was actively involved in the day-to-day application with help from "Team Penguin," a crew of makeup designers from his New Jersey–based Prosthetic Renaissance Studio. The first step was taming Farrell's hair — which Marino describes as "massive" — with spray, tape and a bald cap. Eight or nine prosthetic pieces were glued on, and then every detail, scar and freckle was meticulously painted.

"You're not completely covering his face. You're integrating the prosthetics with his forehead, eyelids and ears and blending them together seamlessly," Marino explains, adding that Farrell had infinite patience. "Colin will sit there and never complain."

Colin Farrell as Gotham City gangster Oz Cobb. Photo Courtesy: Macall Polay/HBO

The goal was to avoid blocking the parts of Farrell's face that express emotion, and the actor had to learn which expressions came through with the new makeup: "He really studied and experimented and did faces in the mirror. The makeup allowed him to go to a place with his acting that he was not allowed to go with his own face. It opened up this new window of exploration into his character."

But no matter how meticulous the application, bad things happen. "Sometimes the collar of the clothing is hard and rubs paint off. Sometimes Colin would move his head, and the bald cap would buckle. And when you're in this kind of makeup for 10 to 12 hours, you're going to sweat, and sweat will internally destroy a makeup, because air bubbles come up on the face through the skin," Marino explains. Air conditioners blasted full time to keep the set as chilly as possible. "It was like being in a refrigerator all day, but Colin needed extra cooling. He had this little igloo tent where it was even colder, where he would stay between takes. We called it the Iceberg Lounge."

Not all makeup malfunctions could be patched up on set. "I strategically look at the footage every day," Marino says. "If there are issues, I pinpoint them and make a note for visual effects people to correct them in post."

Marino considers his Penguin work the most challenging project he's done yet, saying, "Prosthetics have come a long way, and I am very proud to be able to elevate this field and the state of makeup. It opens a new door for fantasy characters, and I think we've proven that it looks real."

The Penguin is now streaming on Max.

This article originally appeared in emmy Magazine, issue #3, 2025, under the title "Crafting the Face of Villainy."