It actor Bill Skarsgård appeared on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ and talked about his experience inciting terror in children. While Pennywise’s sinful smile is likely to terrify any child, Skarsgård worried about frightening his fellow actors during scenes.
The Swedish actor described the intensity of playing Pennywise, a character whose hatred for children produces an intense performance on his part. Considering the age difference between him and his counterparts, Skarsgård was unsure how they would react to his performance.
Via New Line Cinema
“When you work with kids like actors, you never know if they’re going to be game or not. There’s some kids that are actors who have raw talent and some of them are professional actors at 12 years of age. They were all very professional actors,” he said.
Via New Line Cinema
The actor recalled one intense scene in particular in which his character terrorizes Eddie, a member of the Losers Club.
“I’m drooling all over him and he’s crying and we sort of block it briefly without emotion, they yell ‘action’ and I’m doing this clown thing and I’m screaming because part of Pennywise is that he hates the kids, there’s so much anger,” he told Kimmel.
Via New Line Cinema
“Then I approach him and scream in his face and he’s crying and gaging and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’m traumatizing this child’,” Skarsgård added. “They yell ‘cut’ and I go, ‘Are you OK, Jack?’ and he goes, ‘Love what you’re doing, love what you’re doing with the character’.”
While his impressive cast remained professional in the face of the actors unnerving character, we can’t say the same for the rest of us.
Check out the interview!
Featured image Via ‘Hedi Slimane’