Batman: All 6 Penguin actors ranked from worst to best

GOTHAM: L-R: Robin Lord Taylor and Cory Michael Smith in the “The Beginning…” series finale episode of GOTHAM airing Thursday, April 25 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2019 Fox Media LLC Cr: FOX

Colin Farrell recently played The Penguin in Matt Reeves’ acclaimed The Batman. But he isn’t the first to rock that umbrella. Let’s take a look back at the most famous actors to have brought Oswald Cobblepot to life.

The Penguin is, without a doubt, one of the most iconic comic book villains of all time. A well-known antagonist of Batman, Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot made his comic book debut in the pages of DC Comics all the way back in 1941.

Known for his long nose, unique sense of fashion and penchant for umbrellas (and later, his flippers and dark sewer-based origins), the bewildering “bird-man” became one The Dark Knight’s most popular villains, and that popularity has seen him appear on-screen a number of times over the past 60 years. And he’s has just gone and done it again.

Colin Farrell is the most recent actor to take on the quacking supervillain, playing him in Matt Reeves’ reboot The Batman last year. A veteran of his craft, Farrell gave Robert Pattinson’s Batman all the hell you would expect of the character, but he isn’t the first (or the most famous) to bring The Penguin to life. Now, he is preparing to tackle the character again in the upcoming HBO Max spin-off The Penguin.

Nevertheless, there have been a lot of Penguins over the years. With that in mind, let’s delve into Oswald’s colorful history and take a look back at the best and most famous actors to bring The Penguin to the screen.

Note: While there were multiple other actors to voice The Penguin on TV and in video games, this list will take a look at the five most famous (and best) to do so on both the big screen and small screens.