The Penguin is a DC comic villain of the hero Batman. The Penguin is known for being greedy, cunning, and intelligent, smoking with a cigarette holder, having a limp, and dressing in nice suits, often with a top hat. Among Batman’s rogues’ gallery, he’s been around a long time and is a frequent recurring villain in the stories.
Regarding Batman’s Villains, DC Comics fans tend to be very judgmental. They know every aspect of this character and will openly dissect every piece of the portrayal by actors who attempt this classic villain role. Therefore, below is a list of all actors who have played the Penguin across media, including live-action, animation, and video games, to see who portrayed the Penguin the best.
David Jennison: DC Universe Online (game)
Warner Bros. Interactive
Perhaps this actor ended at the bottom of a long list because of time. He doesn’t get as much screen time to portray the character versus others in this list, and while the portrayal was neither good nor bad, the lack of time with the character lands them at the bottom. Likewise, a few other penguin actors get put on the back end of this list for the same reason; they did not have enough time as the character to leave the audience thinking the performance was terrific. Plus, the animation was pretty awful.
Robert Morse: The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985-86)
Warner Bros.
Another voice of an animated version of this classic character, Morse, like Jennison, neither amazes nor disappoints. Yet, the lack of substance provides another candidate for the bottom of this ranking.
Lennie Weinrib: The New Adventures of Batman (1977)
As the list continues to count down to the best Penguin portrayal, it should be noted that voice actors, when the animation was less than ideal, had less room to impress the audience and needed to do an excellent job with the technology they had available. Weinrib is a great example of this, using his voice to accurately portray a character, while the animation gave less help in the portrayal than it does in today’s world. In a way, voice actors are hindered on this list by their partner in crime — animation, whereas live-action actors perform their mannerisms and do not have to count on someone else to show the emotion in their voice on their face.
Dana Snyder: Justice League Action (2016-2018), Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts (2015)
Not bad, not bad at all; it’s around this part in the list that many actors can be said to be on par with each other. Snyder does an excellent voice for the Penguin and can capture the greediness of the character in the tone. He’s just not that prevalent, and the lack of physicality means that live-action is often preferable, unless the animation is superb.
Ted Knight: The Adventures of Batman (1968-1969)
An old animated classic, Ted Knight helped set a standard for the character’s voice along with Burgess Meredith, who was in the live-action show around the same time. But the character lacked the depth that the fans know all the Batman villains for, so Knight lands in the middle of this list.
Colin Farrell: The Batman (2022)
Warner Bros. Pictures
The newest portrayal of Penguin finds itself in the middle of the list. While the acting in the movie is well done, the representation of the Penguin is not coming through. Collin Farrell could have been playing any person with mob connections, any shady person who owned a nightclub; nothing about his performance screamed ‘Penguin,’ which is why he ultimately ended up in the middle of this list.
Steven Blum: Lego Batman: The Movie, DC Super Heroes Unite (2013)
The voice must match the character and the franchise, which happens with many voices on this list. This movie is for young children, and Blum does an excellent job portraying one of Batman’s biggest foes to a young audience.
David Ogden: Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
A good voice and a solid portrayal lands Ogden in the middle of the list. His voice fits the character and serves its purpose for his role, but nothing more than that.
William Salyers: Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016), Batman vs. Two-Face (2017)
A more recent portrayal compared to others, Salyer does a strong job of portraying a classic villain in these recent Batman animations. Hopefully, we’ll see more of Salyer’s performance of the Penguin; by featuring him more and giving Salyers more room to work with, he could easily settle into the role and climb this list.
Stephen Root: Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008-2011)
This is another classic Batman animated series. Geared more towards children than other Batman content at the time, the franchise itself was a bit over-dramatic in its one-liners for Batman. So if Batman is being portrayed dramatically, so are the villains, which actually works better. Root does an excellent job of keeping the character’s true nature intact while performing for a young audience.
Tom Kenny: The Batman (2004-2008)
Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, has done an excellent job voicing the Penguin, and the number of shows under his belt tells precisely that. He has played the Penguin in multiple animated features and performances beyond The Batman from 2004 — Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League (2015), Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom (2015), The Batman vs. Dracula (2005), Batman Ninja (2018), Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2018), Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash (2018), and Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019). By now, Kenny has the voice down to a science.
Wayne Knight: Harley Quinn (2019-present)
Warner Bros.HBO
Wayne Knight, famous for playing Newman in the classic series Seinfeld, has a more recent portrayal of the character lands him high on the list. New to the character, he captures the obnoxious haughtiness of Penguin’s essence well and brings an excellent tone to the character in the great new Harley Quinn show. He could definitely rise further on the list the longer he plays the character.
Burgess Meredith: Batman (1966–1968) Batman The Movie (1966)
The first Penguin, the one to start it all, the great Burgess Meredith (Rocky, Twilight Zone, Grumpy Old Men) gives a classic portrayal that helped spark the interest of non-comic readers in the world of DC comics. His acting was perfect for the decade and the goofy nature of the original Batman series. Both are essential aspects to remember, as the show was meant for younger audiences and therefore limited some darker aspects a usual Batman show in today’s world would have. His bright purple outfit and iconic monicle fit Meredith perfectly, as he speaks through clenched teeth with a cigarette holder between them.
Nolan North: Batman: Arkham (video game)
A voice many know and can point out if listening, Nolan North is a legend of voice acting. While this is not his most notable role by a long shot, he still does an excellent job portraying this character. In addition, his tone and flux are memorable in the gameplay.
Paul Williams: New Batman Adventures (1998), Batman: The Animated Series (1992-95)
Another actor that many children grew up listening to, Paul Williams does an excellent job of playing the Penguin in a series that Batman fans have little qualms with, the adored Batman: The Animated Series. Though one of many villains faced in this show, Williams does an excellent job creating a unique tone and personality through his voice that people can remember years later.
Danny Devito: Batman Returns (1992)
To many viewers today, this is the classic portrayal of the Penguin, perhaps the first they saw when they were children. The nostalgia of a generation placed this actor a bit higher on the list than others, but in terms of the portrayal, Danny Devito did an excellent job. He had the quirks that the Penguin is known for but exaggerated them with a nasty darkness unlike nearly any other portrayal, and was able to bring depth to a character while matching the tone of this 1992 movie.
Robin Taylor: Gotham (2014-2019)
A fan favorite and hands down the best portrayal of the Penguin in any media, Robin Taylor’s performance in Gotham takes the prize. While watching this actor play the part, you can tell that he truly understands the character he is playing. His performance is one for the books, and there’s little doubt he will remain the #1 Penguin actor for a long time.
