Bill Skarsgard talks about playing Pennywise in the Stephen King-inspired film IT and how it stretched his limits as an actor
Bill Skarsgard is a Swedish actor known for his roles in Simple Simon, Allegiant and the TV series Hemlock Grove. In 2017 he appeared in a supporting role in Atomic Blonde. Skarsgard plays the terrifying clown Pennywise in Andres Muschietti’s big screen take on the Stephen King classic novel IT, releasing today.
Were you always a horror fan or specifically, a Stephen King fan, before you were cast as PennywiseIJ
I’ve always enjoyed darker, more mysterious stories, like many of those written by Stephen King. I read his novel IT, which was an inspiration for me while preparing for the role.
Tell us about your audition for Pennywise. Was it very different from others you’ve experiencedIJ
It’s not often that you get these kinds of opportunities to audition for something that’s so out there. I’m in my mid-twenties, and at this age there is usually a particular type of part that you go for. I worked hard preparing for the audition along with exploring what my version of this iconic character would be.
How did you prepare to bring Pennywise to life at that auditionIJ
I was renting a house at the time, and there was a shed in the yard where I would sit by myself and experiment with how Pennywise would sound, look and move. luckily, some of those experimentations ended up in the film.
Pennywise is one of the most iconic creations of Stephen King. What went through your mind when you found out you’d been cast in the roleIJ
It was a long casting process. After the auditions, I flew back to my home in Stockholm, where I walked around with this feeling that IT was something I really wanted to do. I was deep into the process of finding Pennywise during which I’d even been to the production base in Toronto and met some of the crew working on the prosthetics. But I hadn’t yet been cast. So, it was frustrating – walking around, not knowing if I would get the job. I waited for the phone call and when it finally came, it was a huge relief. I could finally relax.
When you were finding your way into Pennywise, what was the biggest challengeIJ
The biggest challenge was to come up with something that would really work for the character, and that would both scare and intrigue the audience. Most of all, I enjoyed preparing for the role, and creating, from scratch, Pennywise’s sounds, laugh and how he moves. I didn’t want him to sound or look anything like me.
Pennywise looks like a very physical role. What challenges did that bringIJ
Playing Pennywise was often physically exhausting. There was a lot of noise and screaming and drooling, and I would be messing up my voice. As soon as Andy would yell cut, I’d be on the ground, breathing heavily – and the young actors playing the losers would walk over and ask me if I was okay.
How did director Andy Muschietti help you create PennywiseIJ
Andy was an immense help to me. He’s very visual, so he knew exactly what he wanted in terms of Pennywise’s look. I really respected his vision and we shared ideas about the character. It was important for me to have someone I could trust to go to the places I needed to go to while we were shooting. With Andy, I was in good hands.
How long did it take for the makeup team to transform you into Pennywise each dayIJ And what was it like when you saw yourself in costume and full makeup for the first timeIJ
The first few times it took four to five hours, but we got it down to about two-and-a-half hours. The first time I had all the make-up on, I just stared in the mirror and began making different faces and sounds, to see how it all worked together.
After playing a clown, do you have any insight into why some people are frightened by themIJ
I watched some documentaries and read about clowning, and what I eventually learned was that kind of fear – it’s called coulrophobia – wasn’t really a thing until Stephen King wrote the novel IT. There is obviously something unsettling about a clown. It’s the separation from the person behind the makeup and what you’re looking at.
Off camera, did you spend much time with the young actors, or did you keep your distanceIJ
Initially, Andy wanted to keep me separated from the rest of the cast, to create tension when we eventually did begin working together. But it soon became very clear to me that these kids were professionals – well aware of the fact that I was not Pennywise but a Swedish actor dressed up as a clown.
Because I was wearing all the makeup and a costume, which were great, but uncomfortable, I avoided hanging around with the kids or the crew. I kept myself isolated and tried to stay focussed when I was working. Usually, I love the camaraderie on set, but on this one, it didn’t make sense for me to join in on that.