Bill Skarsgard plays Pennywise the Clown in the new It movies, adapted from the famous novel of the same name by Stephen King.
The It film and its sequel are some of the most terrifying horror movies of the past decade, based on the novel written by Stephen King. Both of the films, released in 2017 and 2019 respectively, are directed by Andy Muschietti. The first film, It, covered the first half of the King novel, while It Chapter Two covered the second half.
Pennywise the Clown is an iconic horror character invented by Stephen King, and he is depicted as an ancient, trans-dimensional creature that feeds upon children and sometimes adults. The character has been brought to life twice, first in the 1990 television adaptation by Tim Curry and second in the 2017 and 2019 film adaptations by Bill Skarsgard.
Who is Bill Skarsgard?
Bill Skarsgard is a highly talented Swedish actor. He is the son of actor Stellan Skarsgard and is one of seven siblings, four of whom are also actors. His brother Alexander Skarsgard is another famous actor who has starred in leading roles in films like The Legend of Tarzan, Godzilla vs. Kong, and The Northman.
Bill has appeared in Charlize Theron's movie Atomic Blonde, The Divergent Series: Allegiant, and more recently in the horror movie The Barbarian. He also voiced the Deviant Kro in the MCU film Eternals in 2021.
Bill is perfect for playing the role of Pennywise because of his sharp cheekbones and big, penetrating eyes. With the right makeup, Bill does a fantastic job of donning the chilling character. Owing to this, he won the Fright Meter Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in It (2017).
What is the storyline of the It franchise, and who are the cast?
It Chapter One and Two follow a group of friends and the movies are set 27 years apart. It Chapter One shows the teenagers led by Bill Denbrough fighting against Pennywise the Clown, who feeds on children, including Bill’s younger brother. The second film, It Chapter Two, shows the teens as middle-aged adults who have drifted apart but reunite in the film to end Pennywise for real this time. Both of the films were box office successes.
It Chapter One stars Jaeden Lieberher as Bill Denbrough, Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise, Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben Hanscom, Sophia Lillis as Beverly Marsh, Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier, Wyatt Oleff as Stanley Uris, Chosen Jacobs as Mike Hanon, and Jack Dylan Grazer as Eddie Kaspbrak.
The cast of It Chapter Two includes Jessica Chastain as Beverly Marsh, James McAvoy as William Denbrough, Bill Hader as Richard Tozier, Isaiah Mustafa as Michael Hanlon, Jay Ryan as Benjamin Hanscom, James Ransone as Edward Kaspbrak, Andy Bean as Stanley Uris, and Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise.
FAQs
Q. How old is Pennywise?
A. According to the Stephen King novel It, Pennywise is about 200 years old.
Q. Who plays the new Pennywise?
A. The new Pennywise is played by Swedish actor Bill Skarsgard.
Q. How many actors have played Pennywise?
A. Two actors have played Pennywise: Tim Curry and Bill Skarsgard.
