Ballad of a Small Player: After Emmy nomination for The Penguin, Colin Farrell is shining bright as another iconic award is coming his way

The Batman star Colin Farrell, who played The Penguin in it, is having a good time. After his performance in the film, he got his own spin-off where he played the titular role. For that, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

Now another iconic award is awaiting him — the Zurich Film Festival’s Golden Icon Award. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it is given to a person whose work in cinema has become unforgettable. The event will recognize his performance for his upcoming film, Ballad of a Small Player, and other achievements.

The actor has been a recipient of several awards before this, including Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Palm Springs International Film Festival, and more. Other than his portrayal of The Penguin, his role in The Banshees of Inisherin was widely praised by fans and critics alike.

Past recipients of Zurich's Golden Icon Award

Sylvester Stallone is the first actor to win Zurich's Golden Icon Award (Image via Getty)

The Zurich Film Festival began a couple of decades ago, and three years after that, it introduced the Golden Icon Awards. As of this writing, 17 people, including Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Michael Douglas, and more, have won the award. You can see the full list below.

Sylvester Stallone (2008)
Morgan Freeman (2009)
Michael Douglas (2010)
Sean Penn (2011)
Richard Gere (2012)
Hugh Jackman (2013)
Diane Keaton (2014)
Arnold Schwarzenegger (2015)
Hugh Grant (2016)
Glenn Close (2017)
Judi Dench (2018)
Cate Blanchett (2019)
Juliette Binoche (2020)
Sharon Stone (2021)
Sir Ben Kingsley (2022)
Jessica Chastain (2023)
Kate Winslet (2024)

Many names in this list, including Sean Penn, Morgan Freeman, Kate Winslet, and more, have won an Oscar or two too.

Colin Farrell will play a high-stakes gambler in Ballad of a Small Player

Colin Farrell will next appear in Ballad of a Small Player (Image via Getty)

Colin Farrell's next film will see him playing a high-stakes gambler, Lord Doyle, which will be released on October 15, 2025, in the United States, and on October 17 in the United Kingdom. It will also be available on Netflix just a couple of hours after the release. The film's synopsis reads:

”When his past and his debts start to catch up with him, a high-stakes gambler laying low in Macau encounters a kindred spirit who might just hold the key to his salvation."

Other than Colin Farrell, you see the list of the actors who will appear in it.

Fala Chen as Dao Ming
Tilda Swinton as Cynthia Blithe
Adrienne Lau as Casino Manager
Margaret Cheung as Assistant Manager

Alex Jennings, Alan K. Chang, and Deanie Ip are in undisclosed roles.

The film is an adaptation of a novel of the same name by the British author Lawrence Osborne, which made it to several best lists in 2014.

Some of Colin Farrell's most notable roles

Collin Farrell as The Penguin (Image via HBO Max)

While the actor's performances in The Banshees of Inisherin and The Penguin are worth remembering for decades, he has played some top-notch roles before too. This includes his performances in movies like Minority Report (2002), Miami Vice (2006), In Bruges (2008), and more.