Robin Lord Taylor grabs an umbrella and strolls into “Gotham” this Monday night on Fox, starring as Oswald Cobblepot, the man who will eventually become famed Batman villain, The Penguin.
Plenty of TV fans should recognize the actor as one half of the peaches-gathering hippie couple in “The Walking Dead’s” fourth season, a character who sadly never returned at the appointed time to follow Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) back to the prison.
Now, Robin is set to make big waves in his new Fox series, which reveals a look at life in Gotham City before Bruce Wayne became Batman. Stylish and sinister, standout Oswald is introduced in the series premiere as an employee of Jada Pinkett Smith’s club owner/mob boss Fish Mooney.
“Everything I do [as Oswald], I’ve learned from her basically — all of the evil, everything,” Robin told Access Hollywood. “But really, the character does get a lot of his ambition and his drive from Jada’s character, and also, the ruthlessness too. And the way that Bruno [Heller, ‘Gotham’ Executive Producer] has set up Gotham City, you have to be that way if you want to get somewhere in this town.”
A prosthetic nose and a stylish suit are part of the Oswald uniform. Robin also had to put a dark hued rinse into his naturally blond locks for the role.
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“It’s really intense,” he laughs, when Access asks him about adjusting to the drastic change in his appearance. “I didn’t think it would be at first, but then it’s like, the person who I am in my mind does not match who I look at in the mirror or on screen, you know what I mean? And I am the blondest person ever. … I had like white hair when I was a kid and I’m still incredible blond.”
While speaking to Access by phone in the run up to the season premiere, Robin revealed that music has helped him as he brings to life the ambitious Oswald.
“I made a playlist for the character and this is also kind of influenced too by the costumes and the look of the show,” he said. “I’ve been listening to a… ton of The Clash and some David Bowie… a lot more ’70s, ’80s-type punk, glam sorts of things because the look of the character is definitely in that direction.”
On rotation is Bowie classic “Life on Mars,” as well as a sampling of the catalogue from legendary London punk rockers The Clash.
“In terms of The Clash, I would say ‘Guns in Brixton’ is just one of the best songs. I mean… the refrain, ‘Go straight to hell, boys,’ just plays over and over in my head, especially when we’re doing the scenes where we’re doing some dark things,” he explained.
It will become clear by the end of the episode that all of Robin’s early preparations were well worth it, after watching him go nose-to-nose with Ben McKenzie, who plays Detective James Gordon, and Jada.
“I became a huge fan of his after working with him on this project,” Jada previously told Access Hollywood of her co-star. “I said, ‘You’re gonna be a standout in this one.’ I told him that straight up. His work is just really, on point.”
On set, Jada plays his boss, but off screen, the actress has become a mentor to Robin.
“She just is such a generous person. … To be so nice and supportive and to be able to sit there and talk to her in the makeup trailer is just such a dream,” Robin said. “And then also, it’s like, the acting and the stuff on set is one thing. It’s everything else that I really don’t what the hell I’m doing, the [Television Critics Association tour] and… Comic-Con and even what we’re doing right now. I’m just very new at all of this and it’s just been a real blessing to go along with her and see how to do it.”
Seeing Jada turn on her villainous Fish Mooney side, Robin said has made him up his game.
“She’s such a physical actress. … It goes right into her body and her posture changes and it’s really amazing,” he said. “And then, when you’re looking at her in the eye, in the scene, it’s so charged and there’s just so much energy there that it’s almost like, ‘Okay, she is f***ing bringing it. I have to bring it too.’ … It’s one of the greatest acting experiences I’ve ever had, by far and away.”
Playing Oswald in “Gotham,” a show being touted by TV critics, including Access Hollywood, as one of Fall’s best new programs, will keep Robin busy for the foreseeable future.
He does, however, hope his character is still somewhere out there on “The Walking Dead” (it was only his character’s girlfriend who became walker meat).
“All I can say is I hope so, because the thing about that character is I felt like [he] had levity, which isn’t particularly common in that show, you know what I mean? He’s just a really good person and I think it would be really exciting to see some of that come back to the show,” Robin told Access Hollywood. “But that’s the thing, if you don’t see like someone’s arm get chopped off or if you don’t see them wandering around as a walker, you kind of have a feeling. I mean, you gotta have hope that they’re coming back.”
“Gotham” premieres Monday night at 8/7c on Fox.
— Jolie Lash
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