In a recent sit-down with Vanity Fair, actor and trollfoot legend Danny DeVito gave his honest thoughts on who played the best Penguin.
“I love Colin [Farrell]. He’s a terrific guy. My Penguin is better.”
Considering Danny DeVito was hooked up to a lie detector test and it indicated he was indeed telling the truth, there’s no reason not to believe him.
Danny DeVito has been opening up about some of his more iconic roles lately. In another recent interview, DeVito expressed his interest in appearing in the live-action Hercules movies. “If [Disney doesn’t] put me in that, they don’t have a hair on their ass.” DeVito of course played Hercules’ satyr trainer Phil in Disney’s animated 1997 version.
The Penguin aka Oswald Cobblepot is one of the most iconic members of Batman’s rogues gallery. Danny DeVito iconically portrayed Penguin in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns (1992), earning an MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Villain (he lost to Jennifer Jason Leigh in Single White Female). Colin Farrell recently played him in The Batman and is set to return for a Penguin television series. Burgess Meredith’s take was a cartoony one but also the first time anyone played the character more than once in live-action form. Meredith co-starred on the 1960s show and the 1966 film.
Prior to Danny DeVito cast as The Penguin, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Christopher Lloyd were considered. Tim Burton reportedly wanted Marlon Brando for the role.
DeVito also named Michael Keaton as his favorite Batman. “This is the Batman for me,” he said when shown a picture of Keaton.
DeVito will appear in next year’s Haunted Mansion alongside Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson and Tiffany Haddish.
What do you think? Who played the better Penguin? Do you tip your top hat to Danny DeVito or Colin Farrell?