Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise Voice Left Him Spooked
Bill Skarsgård reveals the odd side effects of perfecting Pennywise’s voice for It, sharing how the role pushed him to unsettling places. Discover how he made the character his own.
When Bill Skarsgård landed the part of Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 2017 adaptation of It, he was hardly a household name. The pressure was on, and nerves were running high as he stepped into the shoes of one of horror’s most iconic villains. But Skarsgård managed to deliver a performance that quickly became a talking point among fans and critics alike.
Finding Pennywise’s Voice
In a chat with Variety, Skarsgård opened up about the process of finding the right voice for the character. He explained that it all started with experimenting on his own, trying to capture a laugh that teetered between panic and tears.
The voice for me sort of started out with a laugh. I was playing around with a laugh, but on the verge of a panic attack and crying at the same time. When I started doing it just by myself, I started to creep myself out.
He even shared a funny story about downing heaps of soft drink to get the right sound, which left him belching and with a sore stomach. Skarsgård was determined to put his own spin on the clown’s mannerisms and voice, rather than copying what had come before.
Digging Into Stephen King’s Novel
To get a better handle on the character, Skarsgård read through the entire 1,100-page novel. He found new layers to the alien entity, which gave him the freedom to interpret the shapeshifting being in his own way.
It’s almost like there are glitches in the interpretation of it. I thought that was a fun thing to explore. So there was the wall-eyed look and at times it seems like Pennywise disappears altogether, he shuts down and freezes in a moment and he’s lost.
Director Andy Muschietti also saw something special in Skarsgård’s approach, saying,
the way that he incorporated the presence of the other side into the performance is fantastic.
The 2017 film, directed by Muschietti, was based on Stephen King’s 1986 novel and set in Derry, Maine. The cast included Jaeden Martell, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, and others, with Skarsgård leading as the terrifying clown. The film ran for 135 minutes and was produced by New Line Cinema and Vertigo Entertainment, with Warner Bros. Pictures handling distribution.
Stepping Out of Tim Curry’s Shadow
Skarsgård faced the challenge of following Tim Curry’s legendary portrayal of Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries. Curry’s version had already left a lasting impression, especially with his chilling performance in the sewer scene. But Skarsgård made it clear he wasn’t interested in trying to outdo Curry.
didn’t see a point in trying to emulate that because I don’t think I could do it as well as he [Tim Curry] did.
Instead, he focused on making the character his own, which paid off with a fresh and equally unsettling take.
His portrayal was so well received that he returned for It Chapter 2 and the HBO Max series IT: Welcome to Derry. With Muschietti’s direction, the franchise leaned into psychological horror, staying true to the spirit of King’s original work. All the films and series from the It universe are now available for streaming on HBO Max in Australia.