There will always be an audience for characters that buck the system and rattle the establishment.

I think we all have a little bit of Oz in us

Oz Cobb represents our “anger and frustration with the world. We all have a desire to be seen and for people to understand us more deeply. We feel we deserve a bit more than the cards we’ve been dealt,” explains Lauren LeFranc. This sentiment allows audiences to overlook some of The Penguin’s worst transgressions and minimize others. “Oz is a breath of fresh air to many.”

The Penguin Is Neither Hero Nor Villain

Lauren LeFranc is careful not to portray The Penguin as either a hero or villain. He is who he is.

She modulates her character perspective on Oz. The first episode in her limited series illustrates the world through his lens, but that changes as we gradually unveil his sinister character in subsequent episodes. He starts out as being somewhat sympathetic, but not so much later on. That way, the audience isn’t rooting entirely for or against him throughout the season as they get to know him as the complicated person he is, getting through life.

Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) Photo courtesy of HBO Max

Oz certainly knows how to manipulate his circumstances to fool the citizens of Gotham. He doesn’t portray himself as a victim, but rather as someone rising above an unfavourable situation.

Another aspect of his narcissism is that “when you serve them you can do no wrong. But if you start to question their intentions, things get a little bit trickier,” notes LeFranc.

Inside The Writers’ Room

The emotional intricacies of the characters in The Penguin was something Lauren LeFranc had to constantly relay to her writers to ensure they fully grasped her creative vision.

She began the process by mapping out the emotional journeys of all the characters starting with building out their backstories. This helped inform each character’s voice and motivations.

“A lot of it was me telling everybody what was in my head, what I was seeking to do, who these characters are, and how we can make them even more interesting or more complicated,” she adds.

LeFranc also brought in a lot of experts who specialize in narcissism to address the writers’ room to help shape Oz’s character. She also brought in experts to discuss how people who’ve been imprisoned see the world which feeds into various storylines.

Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz) Photo courtesy of HBO Max

Oz’s mother Francis Cobb has Lewy Body Dementia which is related to Parkinson’s disease. Its symptoms affect behavior, mood, reasoning, and movement. Another mental health expert spoke to her writers about it in detail to ensure her character was faithfully portrayed.

Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) had a dialect coach and Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz) had an advisor to help with the stutter dialogue.

All these actions were in service to representing these characters as accurately as possible. “We’re asking questions of more than what meets the eye for our characters. We’re not trying to be a traditional comic book adaptation,” continues Lauren.

Making It As A Screenwriter

“I think having a general curiosity and an empathy are some of the best tools you can have as a writer,” advises Lauren LeFranc. “There’s always a bit of a hustle and an endurance. You’re always a student of everything.”

LeFranc began her career in the television literary department at CAA where she read many scripts in order to develop her own voice and story interests.

The film and television industry is built on connections and talent and there are many assistant routes to break in. It also helps to understand how the industry works in a bigger way beyond telling a good story.

“For me, it was just really educating myself as much as possible and listening to how people talk. Go out in the world and try to experience more of it so you have stories to tell that feel uniquely yours.“