‘The Penguin’ Brings Back Another ‘The Batman’ Actor

Con O'Neill as Chief MacKenzie Bock and Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon in The Batman

If that fascinatingly voiced actor in the latest episode of The Penguin seems familiar? That’s because you’ve definitely seen him before — likely in The Batman, where Con O’Neill played Chief Mackenzie Bock. No, it’s not Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, but it’s the next best thing.

In The Batman, Bock is introduced as the Chief of the Gotham City Police Department, and a thorn in the side of both Batman (Robert Pattinson) and Gordon. He’s likely corrupt and on the take from the Falcone family, and definitely turns the other way when other cops are given a little gift here and there. It’s a supporting role in the film, one that mostly comes into play in the scene where Batman seems to give himself up to the police, and towards the end when he helps set up the new status quo in Gotham post-Riddler’s (Paul Dano) flood.

As for The Penguin, spoilers past this point, but the actor shows up right at the beginning of this week’s episode, “Homecoming,” at the Falcone house. There the police are taking out all the bodies of the people gassed by Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) in the previous episode while she watches. He casually questions her about everything that happened, as well as the whereabouts of Johnny Viti (Michael Kelly). But as soon as he floats the idea that Sofia might have done it… Well, she rips him to shreds.

In fact, despite the fact that she did murder everyone, she puts on a real show. Sofia starts getting teary-eyed at the thought of Bock accusing her when she’s in mourning. And then she suggests the real reason Bock is upset is that with the Falcones dead, he won’t be able to get money on the side anymore. That mostly shuts him down… Though TBD whether he pursues her further.

Who Is Con O’Neill, Who Plays Chief Mackenzie Bock On The Penguin And In The Batman?

Con O'Neill as Chief Mackenzie Bock on The Penguin

Con O’Neill is a 58-year-old British actor well known for his theater work. He’s been nominated for a Tony Award, and a Drama Desk Award. If you’re a TV fan you might know him as Izzy Hands, Blackbeard’s (Taika Waititi) right-hand man on Max’s Our Flag Means Death. He also played Viktor Bryukhanov on HBO’s Chernobyl, and has also appeared on Happy Valley, Uncle, and Wallander.

However, Con O’Neill is likely best known for his unique voice. And yes, that is his real voice if you were curious. The high, reedy voice that sounds like he’s been shouting all day is just how he naturally sounds and has his whole career. It’s not from any medical malady or otherwise. And it hasn’t hurt his career at all. He even provided the voice of Titchy Gren in Dark Souls II and Mohg in Elden Ring.

You can follow him on Instagram, where he currently has 91.7k followers.

Where To Watch The Penguin:

The Penguin Premiere Dates And Episode Guide:

The first episode of The Penguin premieres Thursday, September 19 at 9 pm ET on HBO and Max. There will be an encore airing on Sunday, September 22 at 9 pm ET, and then the show will move to its regular time slot of Sundays at 9 pm ET starting on September 29.

Here’s the full list of episodes in The Penguin, with premiere dates:

  • Thursday, September 19, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 1: “After Hours”
  • Sunday, September 29, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 2: “Inside Man”
  • Sunday, October 6, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 3: “Bliss”
  • Sunday, October 13, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 4: “Cent’Anni”
  • Sunday, October 20, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 5: “Homecoming”
  • Sunday, October 27, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 6: “Gold Summit”
  • Sunday, November 3, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 7: “Top Hat”
  • Sunday, November 10, 2024: The Penguin, Episode 8: “Great or Little Thing”

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