Colin Farrell reveals hidden hell behind his mind-boggling transformation for The Penguin on This Morning - including shocking diet overhaul and graphic nudity

The Penguin's Colin Farrell has revealed the hidden hell behind his mind-boggling transformation for the new HBO series.

Colin returns as the title character - a.k.a. Oswald 'Oz' Cobb - reprising his role from the 2022 film The Batman.

And during This Morning's latest episode, the actor confessed that if he had had his makeup done asleep and was shown a picture of his transformation, he would not recognise himself.

Chatting to show hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shepard, Colin revealed that during the first run-through of his look, it took 12 makeup artists eight hours to perfect the final look.

The transformation into one of Gotham's most eerie villains was not for the faint-hearted. Colin revealed that because of the seemingly endless layers of clothing and makeup, he often went without breakfast and lunch.

He also confessed that he struggled so much with the heat would spend his time between scenes inside an igloo hooked up to three industrial air conditioning vents.

Speaking to Cat and Ben, Colin revealed all about a naked torture scene: 'To go for a pee was a bit tricky - but I don't have breakfast or lunch, so Penguin was intermittent fasting.

'But when I did have a comfort break it'd take about 20 minutes and need a sat nav to find yourself with all the layers, buttons and zips.

'The torture scene, where I was naked, took seven or eight hours in make up! But honest to God, it was such a privilege to do the show... Batman and Gotham was a huge part of my upbringing so that was never lost on me.

'I just felt like a canvas, it was extraordinary really... and if you watch to the end of the show it gets really, really dark.'

HBO debuted its highly-anticipated series The Penguin earlier this month, and fans were quick to share their high praise.

Fans gushed over the 70-minute episode on social media, with some calling it one of the 'best series of the year'.

When asked if Colin was ready to return for another season, during a new interview with Total Film , Farrell said, 'I don't know, man.'

'Don't get me wrong – I loved it – but it got in on me a little bit. By the end of it, I was bitching and moaning to anyone who would listen to me that I f***ing wanted it to be finished,' he admitted.

'I tried to remind them that I had grumpy gratitude. I was still grateful, and still honored,' Farrell insisted.

He added that he, ' grew up' seeing Burgess Meredith portray The Penguin in the original Batman TV series, adding Danny DeVito from Tim Burton's 1992 film Batman Returns, 'was my Penguin.'

'So being a part of the lineage of that storytelling, I really did feel privileged. But by the end of it...' he said with a pause, with the interview claiming he, 'practically turns purple at the memory.'

'It's not like I didn't know who I was and I was going out and burning cars and s**t, but... if you take what (The Batman director) Matt Reeves created and then what (The Penguin showrunner) Lauren (LeFranc) did and what (prosthetics and make-up designer) Mike (Marino) did and put them all together, it was a really powerful experience,' Farrell said.

While the prosthetic suit was clearly a cumbersome issue, an equally important one for him was being willing to get back into this villainous character's headspace again, which he may not be ready to do right away.

'Lauren said, 'Look, if I could find a way that makes sense, would you talk about it?' And I said, 'Absolutely.' And maybe in a year I would,' Colin admitted.

'But when I finished I was like, 'I never want to put that f***ing suit and that f***ing head on again'.

But the actor will have to put on that suit at least one more time, since he was recently confirmed to return for Reeves' The Batman 2.

Filming will take place next year, with Warner Bros. already setting an October 2, 2026 release date for the film, starring Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman .

Reeves has also explained that The Penguin series will serve as, 'an entry point,' into The Batman 2.

'There are details that actually connect right into the way the next movie begins, and the way that Oz enters that world as we hand the baton back to Batman, and Batman is on another case,' Reeves said.

It remains to be seen when a decision on the fate of another season of The Batman will be made.