Bill Skarsgård has reflected on his role as Pennywise the Clown and revealed the one thing he found “kind of mean” in the build up to his character’s reveal.
The actor first took on the role of Stephen King’s nightmarish clown for the 20127 remake of the the classic horror film It, and then again in 2019’s It Chapter Two.
In a new interview with Esquire, Skarsgård admitted that he was nervous about taking over the mantle from Tim Curry, who previously portrayed the character in the 1990 mini-series.
“When you are 26, you don’t feel young at all, but now, looking back at it, I was a kid,” he said. “It was fairly early on in my career to take on something that had so many eyeballs and expectations on it.”
The actor then explained why he thought it was “mean” for the studio to share first-look images of his Pennywise before the film’s release, given his worries about fan expectations.
“They did a thing that I felt was kind of mean. I was so incredibly nervous to start this job, and then the internet is having so many hateful opinions on the weird, strange look of the thing.”
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Skarsgård was able to overcome his fears, however, ignoring claims that his Pennywise looked “so stupid”.
“You can only make this performance to please yourself,” he said. “It unlocked something in me. And it gave me the confidence that I can take on any challenge. At least, that’s how I feel when I accept these things.”
Following on from that challenging role, Skarsgård is now set to appear as another iconic character in a remake of The Crow. The role was of Eric Draven was previously portrayed by Brandon Lee, who famously died on the set of the 1994 original after being injured by a malfunctioning firearm.
Skarsgård’s interpretation of the character, which is notably more modern than original, has already been subjected to fan criticism, and the actor admitted that this role has been even more nerve-wracking than Pennywise.
“There’s definitely worry about that,” he told Esquire, before addressing the pressures of becoming more recognisable to audiences. “I’m trying to view the fame aspect as a challenge and navigate through it in a way that I’ll find happiness.
“I really don’t think my line of profession is a recipe for happiness or contentment. Not a lot of us are happy. And the more the fame is increased, the more turbulent and scary life becomes.”
Following the release of the first-look images and trailer in March, Alex Proyas, director of original version of The Crow, expressed his disapproval of the reboot.
“It pains me to say any more on this topic, but I think the fan’s response speaks volumes,” he said. “THE CROW is not just a movie. Brandon Lee died making it, and it was finished as a testament to his lost brilliance and tragic loss. It is his legacy. That’s how it should remain.”