Before Colin Farrell took on the role of Gotham’s birdman in The Batman (2022) and The Penguin, several other actors had taken up the mantle of one of the most famous of the caped crusaders’ nemeses.
Burgess Meredith, Danny DeVito and Robin Lord Taylor all played live action versions of Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, as The Penguin is also known, and many animated iterations of him exist as well. Several voice actors like Tom Kenny, Dana Snyder, William Salyers and more brought the various cartoon Penguins to life in many series from Warner Bros. Animation as well as others. There was not a Penguin in the latest The Lego Batman Movie (2017), but one can be seen in the 2013 LEGO film.
For many of the famous faces and voices who have portrayed The Penguin, read on.
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Colin Farrell
Image Credit: Max Colin Farrell first portrayed The Penguin in The Batman (2022). Now he will have a spinoff series starring solo as the antihero.
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Robin Lord Taylor
Image Credit: Fox/courtesy Everett Collection Robin Lord Taylor appeared as a younger version of Oswald Cobblepot in Gotham (2014-2019).
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Danny DeVito
Image Credit: Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection Danny DeVito played Oswald Cobblepot in Batman Returns (1992).
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Paul Williams
Image Credit: Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection Singer-songwriter Paul Williams voiced The Penguin alongside Kevin Conroy’s Batman in Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995).
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Burgess Meredith
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox Film Corp Burgess Meredith appeared as the birdman of Gotham in the Batman (1966-1968) television series.
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Ted Knight
Image Credit: CBS/HBO Max Ted Knight voiced The Penguin in The Adventures of Batman (1968-1969) animated TV series.
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Lennie Weinrib
Lennie Weinrib voiced Oswald in The New Adventures of Batman (1977-1978).
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Dana Snyder
Image Credit: Warner Home Video Dana Snyder voiced The Penguin in Justice League Action (2016-2018)) and Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts (2015).
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Wayne Knight
Image Credit: Getty Images Wayne Knight voiced Oswald in Harley Quinn, the animated TV series.
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Steven Blum
Image Credit: Warner Premiere/DC Entertainment/LEGO/Max Steven Blum voiced The Penguin in Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Superheroes Unite (2013).
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Stephen Root
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Animation Stephen Root voiced Oswald Cobblepot in Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008-2011).
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William Salyers
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Animation/Max William Salyers voiced the birdman of Gotham in Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016), Batman vs. Two-Face (2017) and Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham (2023).
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Tom Kenny
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Animation/Nickelodeon Animation Spongebob Squarepants titular character voice actor Tom Kenny has voiced The Penguin in many animated iterations from The Batman (2004-2008) to Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019). Other versions of Kenny’s Oswald included Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League (2015), DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom (2015), Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League -Gotham City Breakout (2016),The Batman vs. Dracula (2005), Batman Ninja (2018) and Scooby-Doo! & Batman: & The Brave and the Bold (2018).
