Colin Farrell recently made history by becoming the third actor to win a Golden Globe for portraying a Batman villain, joining the ranks of Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix.
At the 2025 ceremony, Farrell, 48, won the award for Best Male Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for his portrayal of Gotham gangster Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot in HBO’s The Penguin. Speaking to the press after his win, Farrell praised Ledger and Phoenix, calling them "extraordinary talents".
"Dark Knight was extraordinary and will live on for future generations," Farrell said of Ledger’s iconic performance in The Dark Knight (2008), which earned him a posthumous Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. Reflecting on Phoenix’s award-winning turn as the Joker in Joker (2019), Farrell added, "And what Joaquin did in the Joker was exemplified by all the awards that [he] won."
Farrell expressed his gratitude at being mentioned alongside such performances, saying, "It feels lovely to have my name in the same sentence as those performances.” However, he admitted, “I don't feel like I'm part of that pantheon… I still approach it all from a fan perspective."
While accepting the award, Farrell lightheartedly addressed the grueling transformation required for the role, joking, "No one to thank on this one. I did it all by myself." He went on to thank makeup artist Michael Marino and his team, calling them "extraordinary" for creating the Penguin’s striking look.
"All it took was three hours in the chair in the morning," Farrell explained. "I drank black coffee, listened to ’80s music, and I became a canvas for that team’s brilliance." Playfully, he added, "I guess it’s prosthetics for here on out."
In a September 2024 interview with PEOPLE, Farrell detailed the extensive physical transformation, explaining that his bodysuit covered him from "wrist to ankle." Only his hands and feet remained visible beneath the layers of makeup and prosthetics.
Reflecting on the process, Farrell credited Marino for the success of his portrayal: "If it wasn’t for Mike’s design… we wouldn’t have had the HBO show."
Farrell’s win not only celebrates his remarkable performance but also underscores the enduring legacy of Batman’s villains as some of cinema’s most compelling characters.
