by Brian Badie | Department Head Hair/Hair Designer
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HBO
In the gritty streets of Gotham, every detail plays a role in storytelling. For HBO’s The Penguin, hair design was crucial—not just as an aesthetic element but as a narrative device reflecting character evolution, emotional shifts, and the dark undercurrents of the show. While Mike Marino led the design for Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobb or Oz (aka The Penguin) is what we call him, I had the privilege of helping the SPFX team with the wig application and styling. It was an absolute pleasure working with Colin. However, the true focus of my work was on the hair designs for several key characters, especially Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone. So, I had to get additional help just to work with Colin through the remainder of the series.
Sofia Hair Evolution
Sofia Falcone’s hair undergoes one of the most dramatic transformations in the series, mirroring her internal descent into madness. I was particularly excited to embark on this journey with Cristin Milioti because she had an acute eye for character creation as well as fashion so I could tell instantly that our collaboration would be in sync. Just as myself, Cristin loves fashion in an edgy way as not to be overstyled but more textured and a bit askew. We knew we had a story to tell with Sofia’s hair styles.
Daddy’s Little Girl
Sofia Falcone’s hair in The Penguin serves as a visual metaphor for her psychological descent and transformation. Introduced as “Daddy’s little girl,” Sofia’s debutante look is polished and deliberate—innocent, youthful. After being arrested and involuntarily committed to Arkham Asylum, Sofia’s hair becomes a physical manifestation of her trauma and unraveling mental state, embodying the raw emotions and lack of control she experiences. This unkempt texture reflects the deconstruction of her former image, paving the way for her eventual transformation into a psychopathic killer with a bold, razor-cut mullet that visually breaks free from her past.
Classic Elegance
At the start, Sofia’s hair is styled in a sleek, Chanel-inspired look—soft waves that are carefully structured to project a controlled, sophisticated image. The hair is designed to disarm others and keep her intentions hidden, reflecting her desire to appear non-threatening while maintaining a powerful presence.
The Wolf Haircut
As her mental state deteriorates, her hair evolves. Sofia begins cutting her own hair, creating a jagged, wolf-inspired look that is both textured and symmetrical but intentionally unkempt. This represents her loss of control, with the hair style acting as a visual manifestation of her unraveling state.
The Mullet Reveal
Sofia’s final transformation is marked by a razor-cut lace wig that is meticulously designed to resemble tentacles. These textures take on a life of their own, shifting with her mood and signaling her full embrace of chaos. The wild, unpredictable styling aligns with her transition into her true, psychopathic self.
Victor’s Urban Edge
Rhenzy Feliz’s Victor Aguilar starts off with a more disheveled, street-level haircut, signifying his vulnerability and lower status within Gotham’s criminal world. The unrefined texture and uneven fades emphasize his role as an outsider.
However, as Victor grows closer to Oswald Cobb and gains financial stability, his hair becomes more refined. The earlier roughness gives way to cleaner, more deliberate styling—his fades become smoother and the top is shaped with more precision and his curls more defined. This evolution reflects his increasing confidence and status, transitioning from a vulnerable boy to someone with power and influence.
Francis: Hollywood Glam Reimagined
Oswald’s mother, Frances Cobb played by Deirdre O’Connell, embodies a deconstructed version of classic Hollywood glam with a mixture of late 1970s and early 1980s tousled updo’s. My main inspiration I drew from with Francis was Charro, Pia Zadora, and Lonnie Anderson. Her hair combines structured curls with a more undone, textured finish with a heavy bang. From the fantasy of old Hollywood to current day symbolizing a sense of decay. The look is both sophisticated and haunting, matching her complex character and reflecting her role in the darker, more tragic side of Oz’s world.
Eve: The Chameleon of the Night
Eve, Karlo, played by Carmen Ejogo, is Oswald Cobbs girlfriend—a club girl who uses wigs to embody various personas for her clients. Her ever-evolving looks reflect her adaptability in the club scene, where she plays to her audience’s desires. Each night, Eve shifts from sultry pin-up to playful schoolgirl, utilizing wigs to craft different characters with one goal in mind: pleasing the men around her.
Cosplay as a Weapon
Eve’s wigs are her tools of transformation. She embodies different fantasies through her hair styles. Blonde hair particularly on Eve was powerful as many men in Eve’s react in a positive or submissive manner for Eve to weave her web of manipulation. Whether it’s a voluminous bob or long, luxurious curls, the ability to change her appearance on a whim allows Eve to maintain power in an otherwise volatile world.
The Girls of Eve’s World
Eve leads a group of girls, each with a unique hair style that reflects her individual personality. While their looks are an underground vibe, they all maintain individuality, adding depth to their roles in Eve’s world. Like in Eve’s girls, there’s a flavor for any person. Whether sleek and styled or voluminous or natural carefree hair, their hair plays a critical part in their identity and their role in pleasing the customers.
Cohesion Between Hair and Costume: The Heart of Character Design
A key part of my work on The Penguin involved ensuring the hair and costumes were cohesive, particularly for Sofia Falcone, whose wardrobe and hair evolved dramatically. Our costume designer, Helen Huang, did an amazing job with Sofia’s fashion, as well as everyone in the show. It’s always great to work with a costume designer where we’re totally in sync to the point where the hair that I organically was planning matched 100% with what Helen chose as the costume.
Classic Elegance and Control
At the start of her arc, Sofia’s tailored suits and refined fabrics were mirrored in her soft, controlled waves. These elements worked together to present her as a poised and calculating figure.
Transition to Chaos
As Sofia unravels, her costumes become less structured, reflecting her inner chaos. Her hair, similarly, grows more textured and unkempt. Working with the costume department, we ensured her outfits and hair became increasingly asymmetrical and disordered, matching the psychological breakdown she was experiencing.
Final Reveal: A True Rebirth
In her final transformation, both her wardrobe and hair reached a place of bold rebellion. Her razor-cut lace wig seemed to have a mind of its own. Its shape reflected Sofia’s mood. Designed to resemble living tentacles, symbolized her descent into madness. The chaos in both her costumes and hair culminated in her full embrace of her true, psychopathic nature.
The Underground Edge
The overall aesthetic of The Penguin blends fashion with Gotham’s gritty underworld. The challenge was to create looks that felt organic to the world while maintaining an edge. Our goal was to design hair styles that were subtle—edgy but not overstylized, fashionable but not too obvious. Whether it was Sofia’s rough Arkham look or Victor’s clean fade, every hair style had to reflect the world they inhabited without overshadowing the darker elements of the story.
Behind-the-Scenes Wig Work
One of the most rewarding aspects of working on The Penguin was assisting with Colin Farrell’s transformation into Oswald Cobb. While Mike Marino handled the design, my role involved ensuring the wig application was seamless. From blending hairlines to ensuring consistency under the show’s lighting, the wig application was a delicate process that required precision and attention to detail.
Fashion Meets Functionality
The hair styling for The Penguin demonstrates that hair is more than just an accessory. It’s an integral part of character development. From the edgy transformation of Sofia Falcone to Eve’s ever-changing looks, hair became a reflection of each character’s journey. The collaboration between hair and costume departments ensured that every detail, from the texture of a wig to the cut of a suit, worked together to bring these complex characters to life.
My experience working on The Penguin was truly a memorable one and a huge feather in my cap! I’m so grateful to have been a small part of helping bring these characters through the art of hair design. •
