It was the year 2020. Colin Farrell came on board for two strikingly different roles: a crime boss from Gotham and a gentle private detective.

At their core, both characters are poles apart. Penguin, for example, could burn his way to achieve what he believed was his goal.

Sugar is open to risking everything to protect those he loves.

Between these two diametrically different roles, Farrell opened up about how he juggled them.

Weighing in on Penguin, with The Hollywood Reporter, he said, “I love playing the Penguin. What a dream for a kid who grew up watching Burgess Meredith in Batman ‘66 and then onto Danny DeVito, my old pal, in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns.”

The actor looked back at gruelling preparation for the role. “To play that part is brilliant, and to work with [prosthetic designer] Mike Marino and do that whole thing with the makeup is amazing.”

“This is not a b****, but it’s so dark,” Farrell said, adding, “The character has such a poison within him, and you take it away a little bit.”

Comparing Penguin with Sugar — a markedly different role — Farrell said, “Sugar, on the other hand, is so gentle, so optimistic and so fundamentally decent. He sees the best in every single person.”

“He sees through people’s pain and he sees the goodness that lies beneath it. It’s a lovely moral palate cleanser,” the actor concluded.