The Penguin’s Rhenzy Feliz on Nailing Vic’s Big Finale Moment

As a fan of “The Boys” and a follower of Rathmell’s career, I can’t help but be impressed by his dedication and passion for his craft. His journey from working with young actors on “Runaways” to joining the cast of “The Boys” at just 27 years old is truly remarkable. It’

Spoiler alert: This piece discusses the finale of The Penguin.

Rhenzy Feliz wasn’t deeply immersed in the comic-book universe as a child, but he developed an interest primarily through Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, which he found utterly captivating. After his television debut in the underappreciated Hulu series “Casual”, Feliz has landed most of his significant TV roles in shows that delve into expansive superhero worlds: Marvel’s “Runaways” and now “The Penguin” on HBO.

Amidst cold-hearted gang lords and remorseless assassins, Feliz’s character is unique: a tearful-eyed 17-year-old with a stutter who’s grieving the family he lost in a flood (as portrayed in the 2022 movie The Batman, where Colin Farrell debuted his version of the Penguin). Over eight episodes, however, the impact of Farrell’s ambitious crime lord Oz Cobb has molded Victor Aguilar into a more self-assured and tactful individual – yet also a potentially perilous one, for both good and ill.

I recently had a conversation with Feliz where we discussed working alongside Farrell, mastering Vic’s stutter, and shooting the climactic scene that the entire season has been leading towards.

TIME: Colin Farrell is the main actor you play off on the show. How did you develop the chemistry between your characters?

In a way, it seems like Colin and I struck gold. You see, we’re both quite alike in our work methods. Interestingly enough, Victor and Oz are also meeting for the first time on camera, and their bond is blossoming much like mine and Colin’s did: we encountered each other on set, and as the show progressed, so did our friendship. As Colin and I drew nearer, so did Victor and Oz, allowing us to capitalize on that shared sentiment and portray it as a genuine real-life connection.

Since Colin was wearing prosthetics all the time during filming, did it feel like you were speaking to somebody else when you spoke off set?

I primarily came to recognize him as Oz. He predominantly spoke using a mixed accent. Even when he switched to an Irish accent, there were subtle hints of his Oz persona in it. To date, I’ve conversed with Colin directly fewer than eight or nine times, out of which six instances occurred. Each time I speak with Colin now, he appears to regard me as though we are familiar, and indeed we are, but I can’t help feeling that I’m not interacting with the person I know. This realization didn’t fully strike me until they sent me the episodes. When I first saw Oz on screen, it was almost like an epiphany for me, and I thought to myself, “Oh my goodness, there’s the man I’ve been spending so much time with all these months. I’ve been missing him.” It’s a strange thing to articulate.

He really is unrecognizable, especially with the accent.

Beyond just his accent and physical attributes, even his unique facial expressions and movements set him apart. For instance, Colin might display a different expression when confused compared to Oz. Watching him closely left me spellbound, but it was as an audience member that I truly appreciated every detail.

What was it like working with a fluency consultant on Vic’s stutter?

That was what I was most worried about: trying to do the stutter in a thoughtful, honest way. I felt like maybe people would be upset about it. But thankfully, the response I’ve gotten has been overwhelmingly positive. I worked with this fluency consultant, Marc Winski, and he himself has a stutter. He was such an open book. One of the things that was most useful wasn’t necessarily the technical aspects: the repetitions or the blocks or how my mouth is supposed to move. It was more the psychological aspect of what’s going on inside your mind.

Did you consciously shift the stutter as the show went on?

The stutter does change throughout the show, but not because he gets more confident. That’s a misconception: for some people it goes away as you get older, and for some people, it doesn’t. Victor is one of the people whom it doesn’t go away for. It’s not necessarily about when he’s more confident or nervous or angry or sad. A stutter can be really inconsistent. Sometimes when you’re really angry, you won’t have one, but sometimes when you’re really angry, you’ll have it more than you ever had it before. There’s no rhyme or reason sometimes.

The way you express yourself in general conversations can vary. For instance, when Vic meets Sofia for the first time in Episode 3, you might notice an increase in filler words like “um” and “uh,” which we’ve carefully incorporated into the script to reflect this. If Sofia perceives Vic as stuttering, she may assume he’s nervous or hiding something. To avoid this, Vic seems to pause more, using phrases like “umm” and “uhh.” This way, Sofia doesn’t pick up on him getting stuck on a word. The extent of this change depends on factors such as whether he’s on the phone, meeting someone for the first or fifth time, and how comfortable he is with them. It’s dynamic and adapts according to the situation.

In this finale, we see Vic really coming into his own as a worthy sidekick, mobilizing Link and people from these different criminal empires against the Maronis and Gigantes. What is it that makes Vic well-suited to this, and how does he pull it off?

Victor is always learning from one of the sharpest minds in the criminal underworld. Oz acts quickly and makes the right decisions consistently, but at times he can be quick-tempered and impulsive. However, when it comes to playing chess, no one is better than him. Vic watches, listens, learns, and absorbs information. In Episode 6, Oz tells Victor, “These people are loyal to us because we give them money.” Later in the same episode, to solve the Squid problem, Vic attempts to bribe him instead.

At the critical juncture when they’re pondering, “How on earth are we going to pull this off?”, he doesn’t simply wait for instructions. Instead, he’s developing a knack for taking charge and finding solutions himself. Victor has observed that Link and his team have a deep respect for him, and that those in secondary command positions are driven by ambition too. This is their chance to step up and show their leadership skills.

Of course, the biggest Vic moment in the finale is his death at the hands of Oz, moments after calling him “family.” How did you talk through that scene, and how early did you know this was Vic’s fate?

Prior to my arrival in New York for filming, [Showrunner Lauren LeFranc] and I had already discussed this significant aspect. We were aware of a major plot development at the end, which we referred to as an arc. There was much discussion regarding the preparations leading up to it, focusing on the physical aspects, sensations, and visual elements involved. That particular day was a notable one for both Colin and me, as we had both marked it in our calendars metaphorically. A week prior, he casually mentioned, “You ready? Got a scene next week,” to which I responded, “I know, I know.” Then, three days before, he said, “You know, three days left,” and finally the day before, he exclaimed, “Tomorrow’s the big day!

The important part of nailing it for Victor is the first half of that scene: this incredibly vulnerable state that he allows himself to get to. It’s pretty soft. It’s slow, and it takes its time, and it’s paced out. Victor is telling Oz, in their own words, “I love you,” basically. That’s the subtext. They’re too macho to say those words to each other, but that’s the feeling. When I read it, I thought it was beautiful, and I wanted to give it air and space. Me and Colin’s coverage was shot at the exact same time, so it all feels very organic and back-and-forth and sweet … right before it isn’t.

How was the experience of filming?

The entire night was spent filming, with us braving the chill of winter in New York City. The scene was captured on Roosevelt Island, specifically at the riverbank. It was eerily quiet, and the atmosphere was heavy. The scene is grisly and violent. As the series progresses, lighter moments gradually fade away, leaving a grim and twisted finale. We’re observing Oz transform into something nearly unforgivable. On set that day, everyone seemed somber. There was an air of gloominess, there was a palpable silence.

As I watched this season, I kept worrying about Vic. He feels like a tragic character. I was like, “Oh god, don’t kill off this guy, he’s the heart and soul.”

It’s possible I have a more pessimistic viewpoint, but I felt that Victor might not be as captivating to viewers due to his less tough demeanor compared to characters like Francis, Oz, and even Sofia. The scene where Francis confronted Sofia was exciting, while Victor seems more sensitive and compassionate, which was evident in the pain he showed when killing Squid, someone he had known for a long time. However, as time passes, I believe Victor is evolving and by the end, if he were to shoot Sofia, he might feel less remorse than the first time. Yet, I worry that people may not empathize with him as much because he lacks the “cool” factor of the other characters.

But in the responses I’ve gotten so far, people do care about him. I care about him a lot. He’s just a kid in this very crazy, psychotic world where he has to dismember people and murder people. That’s not a normal thing for a 17-year-old kid to go through.

On Runaways, you worked with a lot of younger actors, so this seems like a different beast.

Absolutely. At 27, I’m one of the youngest in this project, making it a unique experience. Yet, I couldn’t have wished for anything more. It seems everyone is at their creative peak, which is truly inspiring. My goal is simply not to be the weak link; instead, I aim to match everyone else’s brilliance. I’m well aware of the dedication and hard work that has gone into this production, from the writers to the producers, right down to the cast and crew. Witnessing such commitment while still seeing the exceptional results they produce – I never want to reach a point where I feel complacent enough to merely coast along.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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2024-11-11 07:06