10 Horror Movie Performances That Proved EVERYONE Wrong
2. Bill Skarsgard - It
The announcement that 25 year old Bill Skarsgard would play the role of terrifying monstrous clown Pennywise in the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King's It was met with a healthy dose of skepticism from those familiar with the creature that haunts the sewers of Derry, Maine.
A boyish faced actor like Skarsgard, with no major horror credits to his name, did not give off psychotic spectral clown vibes in the slightest. There were reasonable concerns over whether the Swede would be able to do justice to the latest iteration of horror's most famous petrifying clown.
Those concerns vanished within the first five minutes of Andy Muschietti's triumphant interpretation on the classic story as Pennywise emerged from the sewers. Skarsgard is spectacularly scary from start to finish; his ability to lurch from childishly creepy foreboding figure to full fledged nightmarish sewer monster is an absolute spectacle to behold.
The voice that the Swede bestows on his take on Stephen King's immortal character leaves a particularly haunting impression; coupling an sing song tone with dialogue that positively drips with ominous menace, Skarsgard ensures that audiences will continue to hear his eerily childish voice long after the film has ended.
The lesson to be learnt? Being a smiling, youthful actor does not impede one's ability to play a hellishly disturbing clown.