The Expanse icon Shohreh Aghdashloo talks through Nadia’s choices on The Penguin

The Expanse icon Shohreh Aghdashloo talks through Nadia's choices on The Penguin

As a fan who has seen my fair share of performances across various genres and cultures, I must say that Shohreh Aghdashloo‘s portrayal of Nadia Maroni in “The Penguin” was nothing short of captivating. Her ability to breathe life into a character with such depth and complexity is truly remarkable.

In the latest installment titled “Homecoming,” The Penguin found himself in another intense situation. Oswald Cobblepot, known for his underhanded tactics, set a fire that trapped and incinerated a mother and her son while they were embracing. This time around, the mother was Nadia Maroni, matriarch of the Maroni crime family who took over during her husband Sal’s imprisonment, and their son Taj, who had been abducted by Oz as leverage. Eager to rescue her child, Nadia made a daring move to retrieve Taj personally. However, she was outmaneuvered as Oz had already made his move.

Nadia was portrayed by Shohreh Aghdashloo, who you might remember as the complex character Chrisjen Avasarala from The Expanse. She shared that her involvement was limited, appearing in just a few episodes. However, what captured her interest was the character’s journey. Every actor desires a character with a journey rather than a monotone performance throughout. Remarkably, Nadia’s character needed to embark on this journey quickly, as she transformed from a housewife into a mob boss, essentially playing multiple roles within one role.

Showrunner Lauren LeFranc tailored this character especially for actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, known for her uniquely gruff voice in the entertainment industry, perhaps even globally. This allowed Aghdashloo to infuse her role with personal aspects, such as her Iranian background. As she put it, “Iranian housewives, no matter their husbands’ status, seldom hold key positions outside the home. They are incredibly loyal to their family, husband, children, etc., often unaware of much of what their husbands do. Suddenly, this character must step out of her comfort zone and assume the role of a mob boss. That was a demanding task for me. Then I realized, ‘Hold on, if this woman has survived the Revolution, she is a courageous figure with resilience. She would have the strength to take on such a role.’

In a unique touch, Aghdashloo utilized the cultural context of Iran to portray why Nadia personally retrieved Taj instead of delegating the task, which could have been safer. She expressed her affection for this scene by stating, “While Iranian women deeply respect their husbands and do whatever they can for them, their relationship with their sons is not merely reverence. It transcends worship.” Whenever an Iranian mother speaks to her son, she addresses him as “joon” or ‘dear.’ And the conversation usually concludes with, ‘ghorbunet beram‘ which means ‘I sacrifice myself for you.’ In this scene, Nadia symbolically sacrifices herself for her son, a moment that holds great significance for Aghdashloo. If Nadia were a real mob boss, she wouldn’t personally intervene in such matters. But as a housewife, she makes mistakes, and this scene carries deep meaning for the actress. She has often been asked, “Why does Nadia go there? She could have sent someone else to retrieve her son.” However, the bond between mother and son is so strong that Nadia addresses Taj as “joon” and is prepared to make sacrifices for him, a sentiment symbolized by ‘ghorbunet beram.’

Regardless of how it transpired, Nadia has now departed from the scene, with Aghdashloo ensuring her exit left an indelible mark. In her own words, “It’s Oz who decided my fate, whether I deserved it or not. He’s got to eliminate his adversaries, and unfortunately, my character falls into that category.

When Nadia was burning, she was supposed to stay quiet. But I couldn’t help myself. I thought, These are her last moments. She would have to say something here. I asked my doctor, and the questions I ask my doctor, they make him laugh. I said, “How long would people be able to say something when they start burning?” And he said, “You have 30 seconds. If you’re a strong person, maybe 60 seconds.” That’s why when I was going down in the fire, I thought, No, no, no. And all I could manage to say was “Oz!” [Stretches out the word in a scream, her hand extended outward.] Which is a combination of all the curses, and asking for karma for him. “Oz!”

The Expanse icon Shohreh Aghdashloo talks through Nadia's choices on The Penguin

Shohreh Aghdashloo (Nadia Maroni) thinks Colin Farrell is “one of the top 10 best actors in the world”

Elsewhere, Aghdashloo talked to Starry Constellation Magazine about working with Collin Farrell, who is getting plaudits for playing the title role in The Penguin. I think he’s going to win an Emmy based on the huge amount of makeup he has to wear alone. “In my belief, Colin Farrell is one of the top 10 best actors in the world,” Aghdashloo said. “He is such an amazing actor to work with…He does not act the character out, he lives the character…He is so humble. He is so modest.”

From what it seems, Aghdashloo appears to have had a delightful time working on “the Penguin”. She herself mentioned, “Working on this television series, ‘The Penguin’, has been an absolute treat.” At 72 years old, she continues to be energetic and is set to appear in a new movie titled “The Alchemist”. Moreover, rumors suggest that she will play a significant role in the third season of “The Wheel of Time” as well.

According to Aghdashloo, she has no plans for retirement and instead wishes to pass away on stage following a performance or after completing a film. Otherwise, she jokingly mentions that many people would be inconvenienced as they’d need to re-shoot all the scenes!

2024-10-21 23:41