Cristin Milioti takes on the role of Sofia Falcone in HBO’s The Penguin, delivering a performance that has earned her high praise. According to showrunner Lauren LeFranc, Milioti is “consistently the best part of everything she’s in,” underscoring her significant impact on the series. Milioti’s portrayal of Sofia Falcone has placed her at the center of Gotham’s criminal world, with many drawing comparisons to iconic performances like Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. It’s a high compliment, and Milioti is ready to live up to it.
Channeling Catwoman
Milioti’s Sofia is both fierce and stylish. In one standout sequence, she strides through the Falcone mansion in a flowing cocktail dress and gas mask, casually counting the bodies left in her wake. The moment evokes Michelle Pfeiffer’s turn as Selina Kyle in Batman Returns, a comparison Milioti welcomes. “I’m sure that performance is always somewhere [in my head],” Milioti tells Entertainment Weekly. “I was 7 when Batman Returns came out… It terrified me, but I also wanted to put it directly into my veins.” The influence ran deep—so much so that Milioti dressed as Catwoman that Halloween, complete with a $20 costume and push-on nails she’d begged her parents to buy. She wore that costume far beyond Halloween, channeling Pfeiffer’s character daily.
LeFranc didn’t initially realize just how connected Milioti was to the Batman universe. “I don’t think she’s just saying that,” LeFranc remarks. “I think she genuinely means it.” For Milioti, playing Sofia Falcone feels like a full-circle moment. Reflecting on reading the script for episode 4, she says, “For sure when I read that, my heart exploded.”
From Brooklyn to Gotham
During an interview from her Brooklyn apartment, with her terrier Rupert by her side, Milioti reflected on the role’s significance. Despite the laid-back setting, Milioti’s commitment to Sofia remains evident. It’s taken years to reach this point—playing a villain in Gotham—and she’s not taking it lightly. Episode 4, in particular, stands out for its storytelling. Starting with a flashback that shows Sofia as Carmine Falcone’s heir, it tracks her betrayal, false imprisonment at Arkham, and subsequent quest for vengeance. It’s a packed hour of storytelling, with Sofia evolving from a devoted daughter to a merciless villain. “You get to see her in all those different stages of how she’s pushed to madness,” Milioti says. “To get to do all that in one hour, I was beside myself.”
Milioti has been deliberate in shaping Sofia’s unpredictable arc. “Something that I really did want to ensure that I was able to accurately portray is that she is entirely unpredictable,” she shares. This unpredictability defines Sofia’s actions and makes her a force to be reckoned with.
Face-off with The Penguin
Next on Sofia’s list is Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobblepot, a.k.a. the Penguin. Farrell recalls their first scene together—tense and full of subtext—in a dimly lit room. “We’re pretty much there to do everything but actually have a meal,” he notes. Sofia’s subtle manipulations are filled with enough ambiguity to keep Oz on edge. Farrell describes Milioti as “incredible,” and their scenes together are charged with tension.
A Career of Unpredictability
Milioti’s career has been as unpredictable as Sofia’s moves in Gotham. From her Tony-nominated role in Once, to The Wolf of Wall Street, to her time as the titular mother on How I Met Your Mother, and leading Palm Springs, Milioti has consistently avoided being boxed in. “She’s so charming… but she’s such a tremendous dramatic actress, too,” says LeFranc. While Sofia Falcone was not initially written with anyone specific in mind, LeFranc admits that once Milioti took on the role, it was hard to imagine anyone else.
Full Circle: From Sopranos to Penguin
The crime family dynamic of The Penguin naturally draws comparisons to The Sopranos, another iconic HBO series. For Milioti, there’s a personal connection. Her first TV role was on The Sopranos, where she played Catherine Sacrimoni. She describes it as “one of many profound, emotional, moving, and meaningful synchronicities in my life.” At the time, Milioti hadn’t watched The Sopranos (her family didn’t have HBO), but she revisited it in 2022 and reflected on her younger self in the series. “I’m not good in it,” she laughs, but it reminded her of the journey from a newcomer to a leading role in Gotham.
Milioti also recounted her early days—working odd jobs, dropping out of NYU’s Tisch School to focus on acting, and navigating a challenging industry. Her first day on The Sopranos set was overwhelming: sitting next to James Gandolfini, filming under Steve Buscemi’s direction, and mistakenly eating prop shrimp. It was a lot, but the experience gave her the confidence that acting could be her career.
The Black Mirror Effect
Another pivotal role for Milioti was her lead performance in Black Mirror‘s “U.S.S. Callister.” She’s set to return in a sequel as part of Black Mirror Season 7, due in 2025. “We always talked about it,” she says, still excited despite tempering her hopes. The episode’s blend of humor, darkness, and suspense made it a perfect match for Milioti, who loves roles that are a bit strange and layered.
A Perfect Fit in Gotham
Throughout her career, Milioti has pursued roles that are complex and challenging. Sofia Falcone is no different, and the chance to portray her means everything. Having auditioned for various superhero roles over the years, she’s grateful that none of those early opportunities worked out. “I know that I wasn’t right for those other ones,” she admits. But for Sofia? “Nobody could tease out all the specific, disparate complexities of Sofia Falcone in a single performance like Milioti,” LeFranc states. And fans are eager to see what comes next for her in Gotham.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Cristin Milioti draws inspiration from Michelle Pfeiffer’s portrayal of Catwoman, channeling her energy and passion into the role of Sofia Falcone.
