Warning: Spoilers for The Penguin episode 3.
I’m sitting within the inexperienced room of StyleCaster’s studio on fifth Avenue, Manhattan, however there’s a tinge of desperation in Rhenzy Feliz’s voice, “Can we converse wherever else?” he asks. You see, his mother, Joelis Vallejo can also be his groomer, and after I say we’re right here to speak about spoilers for The Penguin, he panics. “She doesn’t know what occurs,” he says. It’s OK, she insists, she’ll placed on headphones and hearken to Karol G whereas we do the interview and he or she lays out her hairstyling instruments. It takes a second extra convincing, however he agrees.
Feliz has had a handful of performing roles earlier than this one. His breakout position got here within the younger grownup collection Runaways for 33 episodes, however you get the sturdy feeling that HBO’s gritty mob drama—a derivative of Matt Reeve’s The Batman—will push him into the massive leagues. Colin Farrell, with whom Feliz spends the vast majority of his screentime, reprises his position as Oswald Cobb, a center administration mobster with ambitions for grandeur.
Feliz performs Victor Aguilar, a young person from a low-income neighborhood in Gotham. In episode one, he and his associates attempt to steal the edges off the mistaken man’s purple—sorry, “technically it’s plum”—Maserati. Photographs are fired, and Vic’s buddies flee, however Oz has him cornered. In trade for his life, Vic gives to assist Oz with no matter he wants, and his apprenticeship on the planet of organized crime begins. “Oz loves this concept of being revered, being admired. He needs it,” observes Feliz, “and so I believe he finds that in Vic. He likes having him round due to what it does to his ego.”
Whereas there’s actually an influence imbalance between them, Oz and Vic share just a few elementary similarities. Each are from modest backgrounds and each are sometimes underestimated due to their impediments. For Oz, it’s his limp; a symptom of a start defect referred to as Membership Foot. For Vic, it’s his stutter. Feliz labored extensively with fluency advisor, Marc Winski, who grew up with a stutter himself and is an advocate locally, as a key a part of Victor’s character improvement. “I’d both make telephone calls to delis in a stutter, or I’d go to I’d go to grocery shops and order stuff in a stutter. You possibly can really feel embarrassed and ashamed to talk since you really feel such as you’re taking on somebody’s time,” he says. “The stutter had 75 to 80% of understanding who Victor was as a result of it actually shapes who you might be as a human being.”
What has struck so many viewers within the opening few episodes of The Penguin is how, unexpectedly, it’s made them snort. Between Oz and his new protégé, some touching moments will even catch the viewer off-balance. One specifically from episode 3, which we spoke about in nice element, decreased Winski to tears.
I need to begin off by asking you what components of Vic’s character you possibly can empathize with.
I additionally didn’t develop up with a lot.
The place did you develop up?
I spent 5 years up within the Bronx. Once I was 5, I moved out of the Bronx. We lived up within the tasks on 183rd St. Then we moved to a housing neighborhood in Florida. Then after I was 15, we moved to LA, and that was when my mother met my stepdad, in order that they joined the household, and we moved out to LA, and that was when it began getting a little bit extra middle-class, and it was first rate. However till I used to be 15, I lived in not the best circumstances. And I believe that rising up that method, I can perceive why Victor may go down this path.
Oz loves this concept of being revered, being admired. He needs it. And so I believe he finds that in Vic. He likes having him round due to what it does to his ego
Rhenzy Feliz
Firstly of episode 3, Victor’s household is killed in a flood attributable to the Riddler’s bombs. He and his girlfriend Graciela don’t have anything left. His house is destroyed. She gives him an out, to go to California. Why do you assume he chooses to not depart together with her?
To not simply get on that bus in episode three and depart with Graciela, cash is an enormous motivating issue. He hasn’t had quite a lot of company or quite a lot of energy in his life. He has been in a position to do a lot. He’s by no means been checked out like he’s in a position to accomplish a lot. I believe that’s one of many issues in episode one, the place he goes, “I received ambition, and I’m not a waste.” I believe at that second in episode three he realizes, “That is my likelihood to get issues I need issues. I need to be somebody, I need to be a part of one thing.”
That’s what Oz sees in him too, proper? Each of them need one thing extra out of life. Do you assume his affinity for Vic is real?
That’s most likely extra of a query for Colin, however do I believe it’s actual? I believe at first, he does really feel like he may also help this child, he’s like, “This child wants me.” I believe it’s an ego increase. I believe he likes the truth that this child is wanting as much as him and that he’s serving to him.
I beloved the scene within the French restaurant the place Vic and Oz are having lunch. Vic’s ordering the steak frites however due to his stutter, he can’t fairly get the “frites” out instantly. The waiter interrupts and Oz tells the waiter off. Are you able to stroll me via that scene?
That scene is very nice as a result of it takes some dips and valleys. I’m telling Oz a narrative, after which it turns into this entire, “Hey, arise for your self, take up area. Cease fucking cowering.” I keep in mind Marc pulling me apart when he learn the scene, and he mentioned, “The scene goes to be actually particular for lots of people.”
As soon as we shot it, he mentioned, “You guys have been capturing and I had tears in my eyes.” I believe that, hopefully, one of many issues that may come to that scene is this concept that it’s okay to take up time and to take up area, that folks can simply provide you with an additional second and get the phrase out.
There’s one other second the place Oz tells Vic his dad can be happy with him once we know from assembly his dad briefly that that wouldn’t be the case.
Yeah, precisely. Vic is aware of who his father is, and is aware of he wouldn’t need him chopping off pinkies and stuffing useless our bodies within the trunks of vehicles. Nevertheless it’s one of many issues that I believe human beings do; push issues to the facet when deep down we all know we’re doing one thing mistaken. I believe that’s what Vic has been doing, he’s been shoving it down and Oz brings all of it again up. It’s a reminder that he’s not doing the proper factor.
I find it irresistible when Oz begins Vic on $1,000 per week and Vic asks for 2. Oz loves that. You possibly can see the attract for certain.
Yeah, I believe Vic sees Oz, and he admires how Oz is. He’s received this face with an enormous scar, and he’s received this limp, and but he’s the loudest man within the room. He is available in and he can hurt anyone, however he is available in and makes a joke, makes folks snort. And I believe Victor admires that. I believe that there’s additionally this concept of energy that Oz has, he’s received folks working for him, and he’s a wise dude. He’s enjoying chess, and everybody else is enjoying checkers.
You and Colin have such nice chemistry and he’s been within the business for a very long time. Did he give you any recommendation?
I’d ask him questions now and again. I’d ask him typically, like, “Is it too far in a single route? Is it not sufficient?” He would give me recommendation on that, however solely after I requested. He was very cautious to not make it really feel like there was this type of hierarchy, despite the fact that he, deservingly, is up on a little bit of a pedestal, however he was very conscious to not make it really feel like that.
There have been a few instances when, artistically, I didn’t need to do one thing. Perhaps they’d ask me to say one thing, and I’m like, “I didn’t really feel proper.” I believe he’d see it on my face, and a few instances he pulled me apart to say, “Hey, for those who don’t need to say it, don’t say it. Your instincts are good. I’ve seen you.” These moments the place I’d be afraid to talk up as a result of I’m the youthful actor on set, and he’s telling me to belief my instincts. It’s humorous, it’s actually just like what Oz says to Victor.
Editors word: After we wrapped the interview, we checked to see if Rhenzy’s mother had heard something. Relaxation assured, she hadn’t.
The Penguin airs every Sunday on HBO at 9 pm ET.
Photographer: George Chinsee
Leisure Editor: Sophie Hanson
Grooming: Joelis Vallejo
Styling: Raziel Martinez
Rhenzy wears Ferragamo
