As a devoted fan and avid observer of acting techniques, I find myself utterly captivated by the transformative journey of Sofia Falcone, played with such raw intensity by the immensely talented Cristin Milioti. Her portrayal of Sofia, a character who is as complex as she is captivating, is a testament to Milioti’s exceptional talent and her ability to delve deep into the intricacies of a role.
⚠️ CAUTION: This tale delves into significant storylines from episode 4 of “The Penguin,” now playing on HBO and available on Max. Proceed with care if you wish to avoid spoilers.
Cristin Milioti has become quite adept at superhero performances, starting her career in 2011 with a Tony-nominated role in “Once” and in 2013 as the Mother in the final season of “How I Met Your Mother.” Since then, this New Jersey native has been actively pursuing roles in comic book adaptations, which are limited for women.
39-year-old says, “Gosh, if there’s someone around my age within it… I’ve tried for practically everything, you name it.” She expresses exasperation with a sigh, “I simply couldn’t manage to get in – not because I didn’t try hard enough.
In 2022, when Milioti was offered the role of the volatile mobster Sofia Falcone in “The Penguin”, a series where Colin Farrell reprises his role as Oz Cobb from the 2022 movie “The Batman” directed by Matt Reeves, she had good reasons to be cautious, given her past experiences. As she explains to EbMaster, “I was trying hard to keep my hopes low because I’d longed for years to portray a villain.
Apart from securing the role, Milioti has garnered some of her most impressive critiques yet for her intense portrayal of Sofia. Introduced mere days after her release from Arkham Asylum, where she served a decade for a series of murders that earned her the nickname ‘the Hangman’. In the fourth episode, titled “Cent’Anni”, which premiered on October 13th, Sofia takes center stage. The narrative shifts to moments before Sofia’s imprisonment, and uncovers the true tale of the Hangman’s deeds – as well as what transpired for Sofia during her time in Arkham Asylum.
As a cinephile, I stumbled upon an intriguing twist in the plot: it seems that Sofia’s father, Carmine (portrayed by Mark Strong), is none other than the infamous Hangman, and one of his victims was Sofia’s mother. This chilling revelation came to light after a tenacious reporter presented evidence suggesting that numerous women who worked at Carmine’s exclusive club, 44 Below, were all mysteriously strangled. Intriguingly, Oz – Sofia’s former driver – shared the details of her meeting with this persistent reporter, which ultimately led to an unexpected confrontation between Sofia and Carmine. During their exchange, Sofia started probing questions regarding her mother’s untimely demise, unknowingly stirring up a hornet’s nest.
Without hesitation, Carmine – who had recently come to view Sofia as his likely successor instead of his inefficient son Alberto (Michael Zegen) – abruptly turns against his own daughter. He orchestrates the murder of a reporter, fabricates evidence with corrupt Gotham PD officers to pin the Hangman murders on Sofia, and coerces the rest of Sofia’s family, except for Alberto, to testify falsely about her mental instability and dangerousness. In the blink of an eye, Sofia’s glamorous lifestyle takes a drastic turn: Following her portrayal as a serial killer in the tabloids, she is institutionalized at Arkham. There, she endures brutal treatment from both fellow inmates and the medical staff tasked with her care, despite her repeated, frantic insistence of her innocence.
Throughout the episode’s duration, Milioti meticulously portrays Sofia’s progression from innocence, despite being the daughter of a crime boss, into the cold-blooded murderer she was falsely accused of becoming. By the finale, in the present timeline, Sofia patiently endures until her family retires for the night at the Carmine mansion, and then releases carbon monoxide throughout the house, silently causing their demise – except for her young niece and Johnny Viti, the Falcone underboss, played by Michael Kelly.
To put it simply, “Black Mirror’s” 2017 episode “USS Callister” and the 2020 sci-fi romantic comedy “Palm Springs” were notable roles for Milioti. However, her part in “Cent’Anni” offers a challenging and unique acting opportunity that she hasn’t experienced before.
As an actor, when I read that episode, I was thrilled at the prospect of portraying so many aspects, exclaiming, ‘I can’t believe I get to do this!’ It’s not often you get a feast like this, and I felt a heavy burden – a self-imposed pressure, if you will – to ensure I did it justice.
To achieve this goal, she partnered with movement coach Julia Crockett to explore the impact Arkham had on Sofia’s physical being. Milioti describes this as her character going from one dreadful situation into another upon reuniting with her family after departing from Arkham. He wonders about the emotional toll on Sofia, having to remain vigilant and never letting down her guard for even a second.
Apart from that, she aimed to depict the transformation in Sofia’s style from subtle elegance before Arkham to a deliberately flashy façade post-release. “The women in her family only communicate their individuality through clothing, hairstyles, and makeup,” Milioti explains. “Imagine if they were educated under such constraints and then exposed to the influence of Arkham. How would that manifest? I wanted her hairstyle to be unkempt but concealable when she was with her family. I envisioned it as a journey where she gradually becomes more untamed.
Despite Sofia’s post-Arkham persona bearing resemblance to Talia Shire’s portrayal of Connie Corleone in “The Godfather,” Milioti clarifies that this wasn’t a deliberate decision. She jokes, “I do recall thinking, ‘Oh, we have a similar hairstyle,'” but she and the showrunner Lauren LeFranc instead compared Sofia to another character from the film, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino).
Michael is exceptionally skilled in criminal activities, perhaps more so than he realized, asserts the speaker. However, Sofia’s story is distinct. She was once cherished by her father but lost that status, yet she seems to have always understood her aptitude for this line of work, even if it gave her pause. It’s clear that Arkham played a significant role in nurturing these talents.
For Milioti, the main hurdle lay in allowing herself to take bold actions as required by the script. Her co-star Deirdre O’Connell, who portrays Oz’s mother, guided her through the practice of observing other performances not for inspiration, but to find courage – like Gena Rowlands in the 1980 crime thriller “Gloria,” where she plays a former girlfriend of a gangster on the run with a young boy.
Milioti admits she’d never witnessed such a performance before. ‘It wasn’t Sofia, but observing someone take bold risks, truly giving it their all,’ she explains, ‘really inspired me to think, “Wow, see what you’re capable of.”‘
Milioti praises director Helen Shaver for creating a remarkably collaborative atmosphere on set during Episode 4, where background actors playing Arkham inmates were encouraged to develop their own characters. As Milioti explains, “Shaver sat with us and said, ‘I want everyone here to create a character. When Sofia appears, I want to see unique individuals. I want us all to build this world together.'” This approach left Milioti feeling a shiver of excitement as she navigated the mess hall aisles, encountering different and terrifying characters.
The intense immersion in the situation made Sofia’s sudden act of violence against fellow inmate Magpie (Marié Botha) seem incredibly real and intense. As Milioti describes, “Everyone was shouting and pounding on tables.” This sense of play and shared participation allowed for a deeper exploration of the scene, taking it to increasingly intense levels.
Milioti prefers not to delve too deeply into her acting methods, such as the history behind the scars that cover Sofia’s character. She merely states that she had her own concepts regarding their origins. She admits that discussing this topic feels a bit theatrical, rolling her eyes slightly. She dislikes analyzing acting techniques and prefers to immerse herself in the enchantment of the performance. However, she acknowledges that she might be overly protective about this matter, which is quite characteristic of actors.
Without a doubt, Milioti isn’t expressing any dissatisfaction. Quite the contrary! “I truly feel pampered,” she admits about portraying Sofia. “It was like being back in my own garden, feeling like a carefree child again.” She lights up with joy. “Yes, there’s some gloominess, but I had an absolute blast!
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2024-10-14 05:17