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Spoilers follow forThe Penguinthroughthe fifth episode, Homecoming,which premiered on Sunday, October 20.
OnThe Penguin, people who threaten Oswald Cobb dont tend to stay alive.
That scene means so much to me.
Ive been asked, Why does Nadia go there?
She can send people to bring her son back, Aghdashloo says of Nadias characterization as an Iranian mother.
We cant help it.
For Aghdashloo, Iranian mobsters count as a representation win: Why not?
she remembers saying in response to a red-carpet question about their inclusion in the series.
What interested you about Nadia Maroni?
Were you approached for the role?I was offered the role.
I worked with the amazing writer-producer Lauren LeFranc before [on the 2019 YouTube seriesImpulse].
She trusted me and she sent me the scripts.
She said, I wrote it for you.
And when I asked her, Why Farsi?
Why do you want me to speak Farsi?
She said, I love the sound of this language.
When you speak Farsi, it sounds like poetry.
When people tell me, I wrote this with you in mind, its such an honor.
This writer is aware of my strengths, my weaknesses.
I was so excited to be able to work with Colin Farrell.
When I sawThe Banshees of Inisherin, I felt,I wish I could work with this actor.
And I knew that this was going to be unique because already, the title:The Penguin.
For the first time, were going to get to know who the Penguin is.
I read it and I fell in love with it.
I knew that my participation was a short participation, a few episodes.
But what intrigued me was that my character has an arc.
Every actor would love to take an arc, not just stay monotonous throughout the piece.
So its playing a role within a role within a role.
Iranian housewives, no matter who their husbands are, they are not in key positions outside.
Theyre very loyal to their family, to their husband, to their sons and daughters, whatever.
Most probably she has no idea of half of what her husband is even doing out there.
That was challenging for me.
Then I thought,Wait a second.
If this woman has left the Revolution behind, then she is a courageous lady whos got stamina.
She would be able to do this.
How did you and Clancy work together to create that comfort?Working with Clancy was fantastic.
Actors, we need to trust one another.
As soon as we saw each other, we clicked.
He was like, Oh my God, my beautiful wife is coming.
And I said, Sweetheart!
I worship you to the moon and back.
Because thats how Iranian wives are, if they decide to marry someone.
Youre becoming a housewife.
At the end, youre wearing a white shroud and go to your grave.
When I tell my American friends, theyre like, What?
And its just an expression.
We are pretty dramatic, Middle Easterners in general, and of course, Iranians.
My friends ask, You have to stay married to the guy for the rest of your life?
Im like, No, you dont have to.
you’re able to always ask for a divorce.
But your father needs to say that, no matter what.
Thats how they are.
Thats how theyve been raised and sent to their husbands home.
Here, my husband and I are partners.
Im not saying that Im not devoted to him.
But its not as heavy.
You said a lot of the Iranian characterization was in the script already.
I dont double check her because I know she checked it herself a million times.
I wrote back to them and I said, Controlis an English word.
Allow me to use the wordghodrat.Ghodratis control.
If you want to use a Farsi word, it means the same thing.
My understanding ofghodratis that it means not just control but also strength and fortitude, right?
So that adds to the line and makes it mean Dont give up your position of strength.Exactly.
Control means control the situation.
Butghodratmeans both control and power in Farsi.
If you want this to sound more authentic, then itsghodrat.
You mentioned how interested you were in working with Colin.
The crew loved him, the cast loved him, everyone loved him.
One night, we had to work a couple of extra hours.
Theyve already taken his side.
Now the camera is turning on my side.
I felt really sorry for him.
I thought he must be very tired.
I said, Colin, you dont have to wait for me.
I can do it on my own.
I would just figure out a way to imagine youre standing in front of me.
And he said, No, Shohreh.
I would never do that.
I have never done this to my fellow actors.
I need to be there, and I will be there.
We can go until midnight.
I am not going to leave you alone here.
The two of you really sell the rivalry between Nadia and Oz.
I want to ask you about the death scene, in which Oz burns you and Taj alive.
He needs to get rid of his enemies, and my character is one of them.
When Nadia was burning, she was supposed to stay quiet.
But I couldnt help myself.
I thought,These are her last moments.
She would have to say something here.
I asked my doctor, and the questions I ask my doctor, they make him laugh.
I said, How long would people be able to say something when they start burning?
And he said, You have 30 seconds.
If youre a strong person, maybe 60 seconds.
Thats why when I was going down in the fire, I thought,No, no, no.
And all I could manage to say was Oz!
[Stretches out the word in a scream, her hand extended outward.]
Which is a combination of all the curses, and asking for karma for him.
And at the end of the conversation, it usually ends like this: ghorbunet beram.
I sacrifice myself for you.
Nadia literally sacrifices herself for her son.
That is the best part, for me, of this scene.
If she were a real mob boss, she wouldnt get herself involved with this.
But she is a housewife.
That scene means so much to me.
Ive been asked, Why does Nadia go there?
She can send people to bring her son back.
Thats exactly how my mom talks to my brother.We cant help it.
Thats in our DNA.
