Cristin Milioti Embraces the Darkness as Sofia Falcone in “The Penguin”
You know how acting can sometimes feel like walking a tightrope? Well, that was Cristin Milioti’s entire vibe while filming HBO’s “The Penguin.” This rising star, who plays Sofia Falcone—the unhinged daughter of Gotham’s crime boss Carmine Falcone—confessed to feeling like she was teetering on the edge of embarrassment every single day during her performance. Talk about pressure! “Every day I was going home and texting the people in my life like, ‘I might be about to really embarrass myself,’” she revealed during an interview, later sharing, “But that’s also just acting, acting is kind of intrinsically embarrassing,” (Entertainment Weekly).
The spinoff series picks up right where Matt Reeves’ 2022 film “The Batman” left us, showcasing Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb as he navigates the murky waters of Gotham’s criminal underworld. Milioti’s character, Sofia, who is making a fierce comeback after her stint at Arkham State Hospital, doesn’t faint at the idea of killing or scheming her way to power. “This is the darkest role that people have seen,” Milioti said, which makes you wonder what else she’s been cooking up in her acting portfolio. Spoiler alert: This isn’t her first brush with villainy, but “nobody saw it,” she joked, advising us not to “look too hard for those deep cuts” in her past work.
Fans are already crossing their fingers for a second season of “The Penguin,” especially after Milioti declared her love for Sofia Falcone, saying, “I would play Sofia forever. I love this character so much.” While HBO is still in its “let’s wait and see” phase, that hasn’t dimmed Milioti’s enthusiasm. In addition to her powerful portrayal, she’s also snagged a SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries, along with a slew of heavy hitters like Kathy Bates and Cate Blanchett.
With the 31st annual SAG Awards set to stream on Netflix on February 23, Milioti, along with her co-stars, is holding her breath. Let’s hope this series gets the green light so we can all enjoy more of the dark, tantalizing world of Gotham.
Sources: Celebrity Storm Wire and People Magazine, Variety, Entertainment Weekly
