Why did we Assume Jonah Hill was going to play The Penguin?
Hollywood is notorious for casting people (we do know women, specifically), based on their size. This is why superheroes, love interests, etc. are rarely ever played by plus size actresses. It is starting to change a bit. And, men? It certainly happens, albeit less frequently.
But, news outlets are certainly not helping the case. It was originally reported that Jonah Hill would be cast in the new “The Batman” movie alongside Robert Pattinson. But, two days ago, a major assumption was made… that he may be playing “The Penguin.”
Hill, who has fluctuated in size and weight over the past 4-5 years, has played roles at those various sizes. He’s even made jokes about his weight loss and how many media outlets were talking about it. As of now, Hill looks to be somewhere in between his size range, not his smallest, but not his largest. There is no reason needed as to why he is this size or if it’s at his comfort level to be that size. That’s none of our business.
But, this casting news was DESPITE the various news outlets knowing that “The Riddler” would be the first villain cast in the movie. We read in stories that casting directors and director Matt Reeves must be casting “The Penguin” first since they were speaking to Hill. In fact, the person who currently plays “The Penguin” in the TV Show Gotham (Robin Taylor) is a thin actor! Hill, who is not the typical size of “The Riddler” was very much being touted around news outlets as “The next Penguin.”
It has just recently been confirmed that Jonah Hill is in talks to play “The Riddler.” We are not shocked. He’s an incredibly talented character actor with both comedic and dark sides who looks up to Jim Carrey, the actor who played “The Riddler” in Batman Forever. Some say he was the shining star of that movie. Hill was always known for comedic roles until he begged to take on his supporting role in “The Wolf of Wall Street” which he played in an incredibly satirical fashion.
So, this begs the question… why do we assume that a fat or plus size actor cannot play a typical thin role? This is part of a larger conversation that’s going on in media and in Hollywood that involves gender, race, age, size, and probably every other descriptor imaginable. Perhaps something we can discuss in future articles.
We’re excited to see what Jonah Hill does with this role if cast!
