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Since its release on September 19, 2024, The Penguin on HBO has become one of the most popular shows currently airing on television. Audiences have attributed the show's tremendous popularity to its complex storyline, the actors' performances, the background score, and the cinematography.
The series has also benefited from numerous guest appearances by well-known characters from the Batman universe, which has kept audiences thrilled and eager for more. One such character is that of Taj Maroni, the son of Salvatore and Nadia Maroni, who is also an enforcer of The Maroni Crime Family.
In The Penguin series, Taj's character was portrayed by Aria Shahghasemi, best known for his roles in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2016) and Legacies (2018-2022).
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Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers. Please read at your discretion.
About Aria Shahghasemi's role in The Penguin series
As mentioned earlier, Aria Shahghasemi plays a guest role in The Penguin series. In the show, he portrays the character of Taj Maroni, a member of the Maroni family and son of Salvatore and Nadia Maroni.
Shahghasemi's first significant appearance as Taj Maroni was in episode 2 of Inside Man, where he was briefly featured. He made several short appearances throughout the series, but his first substantial character development happened in episode five.
In the Homecoming episode, Oz kidnaps Taj as retaliation against the Maronis. However, when the situation does not unfold as intended, Oz kills him, leading to the conclusion of Taj's character's story.
About The Penguin series
The Penguin is a spin-off series of the 2022 film The Batman, written and directed by Matt Reeves. It is based on the characters from DC Comics created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.
6th & Idaho Productions, along with Dylan Clark Productions, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Television, produces the show. The executive producers are Matt Reeves, Dylan Clark, Colin Farrell, Lauren LeFranc, Craig Zobel, Bill Carraro, and Daniel Pipski, and Lauren LeFranc is the writer and showrunner.
The show's storyline follows the Penguin's ascent to power within Gotham City's criminal underworld. Colin Farrell portrays the titular character, whose real name is Oswald Cobb, or simply Oz. The cast also includes Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, the daughter of Carmine Falcone, who is Oz's primary rival in the struggle for control of Gotham City's criminal syndicate.
Besides Farrell and Milioti, a few of the show's primary cast include the following:
- Rhenzy Feliz as Victor Aguilar/Vic
- Michael Kelly as Johnny Viti
- Shohreh Aghdashloo as Nadia Maroni
- Deirdre O’Connell as Francis Cobb
- Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maron
- James Madio as Milos Grapa
- Scott Cohen as Luca Falcone
- Michael Zegen as Alberto Falcone
- Carmen Ejogo as Eve Karlo
- Theo Rossi as Julian Rush
- Mark Strong as Carmine Falcone
- Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál
- David H. Holmes as Nick Fuchs
- Marié Botha as Magpie
- Tess Soltau as Tina Falcone
- Daniel J. Watts as Bruno Tess
- Kenzie Grey as Gia Viti
- Hunter Emery as Leo
One of the most notable projects Aria Shahghasemi has worked on is the show Legacies, which aired from 2018 to 2022 on The CW. Shahghasemi portrayed one of the main characters in the show, Landon Kirby, and appeared in approximately 68 episodes overall.
