“The Penguin” series at HBO Max has added Michael Zegen, James Madio, and Scott Cohen to its cast in recurring roles, Variety has learned exclusively.
The three join a cast that includes series lead Colin Farrell, who will reprise the role of Oswald “The Penguin” Cobblepot from “The Batman, as well as Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Deirdre O’Connell, and Clancy Brown.
HBO Max is not releasing character details for three new additions, but sources say that Zegen is set to play Alberto Falcone.
Alberto is the son of Gotham City crime boss Carmine Falcone, who was played by John Turturro in “The Batman,” and the brother of Sofia Falcone, who will be played by Milioti in “The Penguin.” In the comics, Alberto takes credit for being the serial killer known as The Holiday Killer, who targets Gotham gangsters on a holiday each month.
Zegen is best known for his role in the hit Amazon series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” which is currently prepping its fifth and final season. His other notable roles include playing gangster Bugsy Siegel in HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” as well as roles in shows like “Rescue Me,” “The Walking Dead,” “Girls,” and “Happy-ish.” His film roles include “Frances Ha,” “Brooklyn,” “Adventureland,” “Taking Woodstock,” and “The Stand-In.”
He is repped by UTA, Authentic Talent & Literary Management, Underground Management, and Ginsberg Daniels Kallis LLP.
Madio recently appeared in the Paramount+ series “The Offer.” He is perhaps best known for his role in the HBO series “Band of Brothers,” in which he played Frank Perconte, as well as his role in “USA High.” He is repped by HCKR Agency and Liebman Entertainment.
Cohen’s past credits include shows like “The Americans,” “Billions,” “The Gilmore Girls,” “The Equalizer,” and “Necessary Roughness,” while his film credits include “Killing Jessica Stein” and “The Week Of.” He is repped by Innovative Artists, Circle of Confusion, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
“The Penguin” will consist of eight episodes. The series is said to continue the story of the film. It is believed to take place in the immediate aftermath of the events of “The Batman.”
Lauren LeFranc is the writer, executive producer, and showrunner on “The Penguin.” “The Batman” director Matt Reeves executive produces via 6th & Idaho, while Dylan Clark executive produces via Dylan Clark Productions. Farrell executive produces in addition to starring. Craig Zobel is executive producing and directing the first three episodes. 6th & Idaho’s Daniel Pipski also serves as executive producer, as does Bill Carraro, with Rafi Crohn co-executive producing. Warner Bros. Television is the studio. 6th & Idaho is currently under an overall deal at WBTV. The series is based on characters created for DC by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.