Ep40 - Bill Skarsgard / “It”

fear of clowns. Speaking of which, my guest today stars as Pennywise, the dancing clown in the new film, the creepy physical manifestation of an ancient evil entity that has terrorized the town of Dairy, Maine for centuries. His name is Bill scars Guard, and we're very happy he could stop by to discuss Bill. Thanks for coming on the show. Thanks for having me. I almost got tongue tongue tied there. I sometimes forget there's there's things you write and there's

things you say. I don't necessarily go together anyway. First of all, congratulations the movie has done so phenomenally well. Uh and so I my first question is, what does this moment feel? Like for you because as you sit in that chair right now, you're the face of the biggest movie in the world at this very moment, and that must be just heavy and exciting, and you know your career is poised to go to the next level.

So just what's going through your mind this week? It's been really weird for me, and I haven't Like I'm I'm almost like a little bit confused by the whole thing because we were shooting. First of all, when I got the job, it was a huge deal for me, obviously, Like it's such a you know, I knew that there was a lot of anticipation for the movie and excitement

about the project and and the character itself. Um, but then I hadn't like I didn't allow myself to do two to sort of hope for anything, do you know what I mean? Like I feel like I've I found hope for success or if the movie you know that there's just like I when we were shooting it, I had a feeling that we were making something that that would work. You know that like this is this might actually be very like successful, but more more importantly, something

that that that's gonna work. You know that that people will respond to and an interpretation of the of the novel that people will really like. Um. But there was always that like in the back of my head, and even like when they were you know, we were sort of coming up to the release, people were like, Oh, it's going to do this well and this well and this well, and then the box office sort of you know, surprised everybody, even like the most optimistic predictions were like

half of it, um and um. So yeah, up until everything, I was like, I just felt that I was going to either like something really terrible was going to happen to me personally or or the movie that you know what I mean. Like, I was just like that things were just seemed to be going, Um, I feel like you're in suspended animation or something. What's going to happen? Well? Yeah, I mean it's I must admit, as you say, it's called everyone by surprise. I didn't expect this, And kudos

to Warner Brothers marketing for everything that they've done. But that's just obliterated expectations. So why why do you think it's connected this week so strongly? Well, there's um, I think there's like, for first of all, the movie works so well. I think that it's it's it's such a it's it's a wide movie, you know that they it can reach a wider audience. Like when I, um, when

we had a premier in uh in l A last week. Um, you know, people brought their moms and I asked, you know, and I had the premiere in Stockholm and my mom went and my girlfriend's mom went, and you know, I asked them like, what do you think of the film? And they really enjoyed it. And I think that's a testament to the film that it's a horror movie, but it's you know, it's sort of everybody's yeah, and there's

something for everybody in it. So that's I think it's part of the wide success of it, that it's more than just a horror film, that people that who might not necessarily like horror movies, uh, we'll find something in the film or be sort of intrigued by it. Um. And then I think there was just a perfect storm with in terms of like just that draft on in the film. You know, there was having people and they were ready for something, so sort of a perfect storm

of things. I think, Well, when you landed the part, you've probably asked this enough, But was it daunting considering just the kind of iconic portrayal of Tim Curry in the mini series from me? Was was that at all on your mind? Like, oh man, this is like a very iconic performance that's out there already, and you know, um yeah, I mean it was terrifying. I remember, Um. So first I got the audition itself, and I tried

to prepare myself for that. I thought the audition was such a fun opportunity to sort of play play, like truly play, you know, like change your face and your voice and do something very transformative. Um, And I thought that was going to be it. You know, I never sort of put any expectations in booking a job because like, I don't think it's sustainable as an actor in the long run if you do so. Um, I had really fun with the audition and then they seemed to respond

to it. So then that was sort of started the process of of trying to get the job. And and you know, there was I think I did four or five auditions. You know, it was a long process and in getting it, and then that was like the only thing right, like I'm just I need to book the job. And as soon as when I got the call, like you got it, you know your penny Wise, then it sort of dropped like holy ship, can I do this?

Like can I pull this off? And more so than if like more so you know now that I've gained the trust of the director Andy, like am I gonna let him down? Like there was more that was probably something that I was worried more about. Yeah I have my friend. Yeah, and then just assured like that the the the every day like the the usual uh sort of inner demons that I think every creative person goes through. It was like, yeah, I'm a fraud. I've just fooled everybody.

Those stup at this point like, um, they're idiots for even believing that I could do with this and you know, and I'm people are gonna laugh at me and so far. Um, so I had a whole there was a whole phase there where I was like terrified and I'm like I was because I've never done anything on the scale before and I and I've certainly never done anything where there was that many opinions about the character. You know, beforehand, people fans of the TV show and you know who,

like the Tim Curry performance, fans of the book. You know, there were so many people out there that had their own opinions, so what the character should be before I even started working or before I even started doing it myself. So um um, yeah, it was. It was the first have you talked at him? He has never met No, I've never met him, or or Stephen King. Yeah. Interesting, Well I understood that Stephen didn't have much involvement in

this or the Dark Tyler, I guess. But I'd be curious to hear what Mr Curry thinks because it's quite an unsettling portrayal. I wanted to get into your incarnation, which is, uh, you know, there's something about the physicality. There's kind of a feral aspect to it. You know. Curry went in a kind of Vaudvilian direction, uh, particularly

with his voice, which I'll get into as well. But I want to know what you and Andy talked about in terms of that physical behavior and how this entity inhabits his space, because I guess the sky's the limit on creativity, right like, in terms of how you can portray how this guy is. And I when I say feral, I mean, you know, just kind of the quick, ferocious stuff. He'll do and just just his physical behavior is unk and just talk about that what you guys talked about

and how you would represent that. Yeah, So my sort of take on it initially was obviously that Tim Curry did such an amazing Tim Curry performance, and and I I didn't see a point in trying to emulate that because I don't think I could do it as well as he did. So I wanted to, you know, um do something different with enough course and and and um

sort of have my own take on it. So and there was, you know, the aspect of I thought that the character could be or we want to you know, go through sort of there's layers to the to the entity of it. So Penny Wise is the manifestation of this clown that this entity is behind. And this entity

is this sort of trans dimensional being being. Um that is you know, it's very very abstract, the whole thing in the novel um, but I wanted to sort of implement that more that into the characters of the character. Is there's an entity, this thing who can take any shape or form it want, and it's taken this shape of a clown. So the representation is this clown, but it's something wrong with the clown. The clown isn't isn't

a perfect clown, right, It's there's something off with it. Uh. So it's like almost like it there's glitches in the interpretation of it. Um uh. And I thought that was just such a fun thing to explore. So there's this undertone of like, you know, the walleyed look and um um, you know, the sort of thing glitching. And at times the character seems like painting why, seems to disappear altogether. So he's yeah, he shuts down and he freezes in

a moment, and he's lost. And in my idea, that was like the entity who lives in the sort of other tracking like dimension is sort of tapping in and out out of these spaces. So at times he disappears and as you're just left with this sort of skeleton

of a skeleton um so um. And then there was, you know, the the childlike aspect that we wanted to play up as well, and that Andy sort of had had had thought about a lot two because Pennywise exists sort of in in he only exists really in the imagination of children, so he's forever linked to the children

and to their fears. And so we incorporated sort of childlike mannerisms and and and fit in the physicality and um sort of goofy childlike uh you know things, and in her in his face and now how he how he played how I played it? Um and um and the feral thing like I I always I always like I think it's you know, not to get too pretentious

with like your character's inner animal. But like I, I do think it's fun to look at animal shows, especially for a character like this, to go like wild animal programs and see what what you can sort of get inspired by in terms of some ferocious you know, some something ferocious and animalistic that I wanted to implement in the character as well. So was there a particular animal that had a weird parallel for you? Yeah? The hyena,

oh yeah. Um, And and bears as well. Um, bears can sometimes how you just made that face, guys, and it really creep me it smile, But they if you look at you know, bears have that really great trip then they drooled a lot as well. Um. And hyenas as well, for those sort of uh energy and pace in them, they're so like they're so explosive and hysterical right, So how about the voice. It's it's more of like a guttural kind of uh just growl really in some ways.

And then how he speaks, so that and again that's completely you know, a different direction than what was done before, which was very interesting to me. So talk about that. Um yeah, no, the same thing there was like that. You know, I didn't want to um like, I never wanted to compete with the Tim Curry performant, so like and and I genuinely believe that you could appreciate and look at these performances separately, you know that they're there

are two different things and and and um. In order to do that, obviously I had to do something different with it. If otherwise the comparisons would be um impossible not to do. So I am um. And the voice for me sort of started out with a laugh, like I I was playing around with a laugh, and I wanted the laugh to be not a laugh, like, I wanted the laugh to be something that's on the verge of a panic attack and crying at the same time

as it's a laugh. So that's just something. And when I started doing it just by myself, I sort of creep myself out with it like this does not because it doesn't sound like a real laugh, and again going into the aspect of the character not being human or or a perfect clown. It's like this, it's something really really off with the character. So um. And then the voice kind of came in with that as well, or

it took off after that. I sort of figure out who the laugh was and sort of this nuances of the kind I'm having a breaking like there's something breaky lee and then it goes up and down in pitch and sometimes it really drops, and sometimes it breaks up really high and and and have to get this sort of crack ely crack ely, you know, demonic sound to him.

So you can pop that off at any moment. The voice, Um, I don't know, like I think I can, but I don't want to make you dance, but I almost want to be like, can you say you're listening to playback? You're listening to playback at variety? This is pennywise, you're listening to playback at variety. You're listening good playback on rity. I promise we won't exploit that, thank you know. But it's funny even doing it like that, because like I like I would always I would, even before every take,

I would, I would. I would start with a laugh and the shouts. It's like and then like and you know, really go into the left and then I would find sort of the right tone. Yeah, yeah to start. Yeah, it's differm but it's it's it's it's more like finding because every character sort of for me, they have sort of a tone, Like everych each character sort of has like a like a tone that you can almost find.

Um and for a pennywise you know, I said, there was the laugh and and sort of just to scream kind of high pitched scream that made me find like all right, and now I can carry on with that sort of essence into the dialogue and the scene. Were you seene for scene or where did you try to main like not that you're like talking and accepting direction in that voice, but I don't know how much of that part of the character you stayed in while you were on the set. Yeah, like I'm I'm I've never

done like a full the full sort of method. Yeah, they for me, so um um, I would maintain in in the energy of it. So whatever that means for whatever sen you're doing. Um, but um Um, I never spoke to um Andy and full penning by this voice? How many hours of makeup were you looking at every day? Two and a half. Okay, I'm not terrible. There's definitely worse. I guess what did that physical transformation do for you?

Did it put you in the zone or was it like something you felt like you had to perform past to get past? Um? You know, it's just it affects actors differently sometimes. Yeah, Um, it was. It was the whole process of leading up to getting the makeup on

I had. The character was so abstract to me, so I played around with a lot of ideas, but I didn't know how anything translated onto the makeup or the face, so the the visual like, you know, I didn't know up until the point where the first time I had to make up onto like, oh, this is how my face moves and reacts. And I tried like sort of you know, the expressions and facial expressions and all of that, and I had ideas for them, but I didn't and

Andy didn't really know either. So the first time we got him on, like or the first time I got the makeup on, I was, um, you know, I really took time just by myself in the mirror trying to figure out how my face would move and react to it. And I also did like sort of selfie videos of like how things played, how the lightheaded and everything. You still have those those should go on the DVD and I have, I have, I have, I have quite a few.

But and then we had the screen tests, so me and Andy sort of together, um figured out, you know, we did phaces and um, I've never like wanting to, like I I never sort of cared to look at my dailies or look at my performances, but with this one, it was very important for me to kind of actually look at the monitor to see how things would would would track and how it would work, because I didn't really know, right, So there was that was the first

for me. Uh you know, I think the highlight of your performance is it comes in the very first scene. For me, it's by now it's an iconic sequence, you know, the Georgie Denboro and the riyellow raincoat and the red balloon and the paper boat. You know, it's it's kind of Stephen King iconography. And there you are in the

sewer luring this child to his death. So I just want to talk to you about shooting that scene and in that coverage and just I don't know if it took a day or two days or whatever, but what can you recall shooting that very iconic laugh comes to mind? First, this is the first, uh, the first time I actually got this question. And we shot this scene at the very end of the production I think goes the last

day or the or the second to last day. Um, And I felt, um, I think this is something that a lot of actors, uh could sort of sympathize with. And it's on the last day of of your shoot. You go, oh, I figured out the care and now I know what the character is. It's almost like you wanting you want to start shoot the shoot on your very last because um. And it's natural because you know, so much of the journey in doing a movie is

getting to know the character as well. Um. Um. But um, you know so that I you know, I've done all my prep and we've shot the whole thing essentially up into the scene, and the scene if it's like if this,

if the scene doesn't work, the movie doesn't work. I mean it's it's it's sets the whole town, it sets the whole tone and and and and in that regard, it's definitely one of the most important scenes in the movie, and it opens the film, and it's the introduction to penny Wise, the new penny Wise and all those things. So we like we knew that we had to, you know, nail it, and that scene was the scene that I

auditioned with. So like the scene itself felt like I don't It was really hard to find anything new with it. You know, it felt like I've done it a thousand times and I knew it inside out and I had you know, I've sort of implemented all of my different ideas and takes on it, and we sort of found a middle ground um or me and he sort of found a place where like, Okay, we need to I need to be scary and threatening, but something cute about it and alluring and all these different sort of nuances

and for the scene to work. And then when we're shooting it, and we're shooting so first of all, we started with Jackson's the kids coverage, UM and then in that scene, you know, he's very young, he's seven, so I had to sort of play up for his performance. So if I got too intense. He he would sort of come off or forget his lines and stuff like that, so we would I had to really kind of encourage him.

And we had ear pieces where you know, the director and the acting coach were like directing him and I was UM. And then we turned around in my on my on my coverage uh at in the end of the you know, so we worked on him and this is at the end of the day. We shot it a lot, you know, many times, and we did did different ways. UM. And then there was we went in closer and this is the final setup of the scene and it was the closest, you know, the closest that we got for the setup. And I was tired, you

know the end of the day. UM and UM you're probably wet. So I had this idea that we that we that we um UM sort of didn't actually end up being in the movie, but I was drinking a lot of soda water because I wanted UM sort of involuntary burbs to come up like like that just come and there's and it does something to your voice too, with the carbonated um and look, I I kind of have that and there's UM moments where I go because the way like it's there's like things that play around

with my voice. So I was chugging soda water to kind of get those like involuntary things. I I don't I don't know. It might have ended up being like too commedic for the scene to be used, but it was there's there's that should be in the DVD because it's there's some really good like uncertain words, like I know circus is like the whole away and it's like

this long birth of that word. But anyways, I've been drinking so and like I've been shugging soda water and my stomach started acting up like weird, and I'm like, oh no, like ah, this doesn't feel good at all, Like and we're like, oh, you know at the end of the day, and I knew we've gotten some good stuff, but there was something like I didn't feel like I've had, you know, nailed the whole thing um and the stomach thing, and I was like feeling uncomfortable and like almost sweaty

and like almost dizzy because I've been doing the scene for so many times and then we're like the final setup, we're moving closer, you know, and he wanted of the closest set up and we start shooting it and that take is like what you see in the film because something happened there where I sort of completely lost myself in in in the performance and like I didn't think of anything, and like the burbs just started happening exactly

when they should and everything just started going perfectly. And like the minute before I felt like I was going to like ship my pants or something because my my I was like feeling so strange and my stomach was

so upset. And then just like and we kept rolling and you know, and he's like you know again, and like we did over and over and uh and that was like that was the scene and then he was just cut and like everything just went perfect with it and it's one of those things that you can never plan for and it it just sort of happened, and um um, it's just such an amazing and we knew and like, actually, if you look in the movie, I think probably you know, most of what you see in

that scene is that coverage from that that's the last take, and you know we probably shot that scene, you know, thirty forty different takes. So movie magic times, stomach aches sometimes gets your best performance. Well, now everyone's attention is turning to the sequel, obviously, which will bring the children

back fully grown for their last showdown with it. And uh, it's sort of an unusual circumstance for you to be in because there's just one more half of the story to tell, you know, it's it's like not a big franchise yet anyway, and your commitment presumably extends to just one more film. So uh, you know what, what are your thoughts on that, like being able to come back for a reprise but not being locked into this like

multi film thing. Um. Yeah, that was even a part of like I I I didn't want to become you know, this movie and Stern and sort of seven different films. Um, mainly because I feel that, you know, part four and part five is never gonna be good. You know, there's like there's there's there's and I you know, when becomes franchises and people sort of really start to drag them out and stretch them out, and like there's really not much more story to tell, but because just because there's

money in it, they just forced them. And um, I obviously just you know, I I want to do inspiring things and movies and um, you know, I love Andy uh you know Musquetti as a as a director and a close friend of mine now and um, it's just so great that we have We've done this one, and we have the sort of the the the the finale in part two, and you know he's gonna do it and I'm gonna do it, and we're gonna get to work together again with like um you know, new cast

with like adults, and it's gonna be completely different experience to shoot. Um. But I also think that, um, there's so much more to explore and penny Wise, like we we just sort of got a little glimpse and taste of him in the first one. Um, and there's so many sort of questions left unanswered. Um, so I'm really looking forward and that to show more of him, more of penny Wise and um and explore sort of the entity of it and his background and everything. And UM, yeah,

it's it's it's great. And UM, I think and hope that you know, the core, um, you know of the films are the kids and this one and the kids are so amazing and and they're you know, they're really like they're really the drive through the film and the the emotion that you like, you feel you you love all these characters, you love the kids, and you're you're rooting for him, and it's just really hitting all those notes that it has to. And it's thanks to uh,

you know, Andy as a filmmaker. But you know, of course the kids are just phenomenal actors, so well cast. And then the second one, um, you know, it's adults. So I hope and think that there's something to explore

in the second one. Well, he certainly engages with them as adults differently than he does is yeah, exactly, there's there's there's I think there's a room for a more sort of darker and more adult movie or more you know, grown up movie in terms of what adults fears are and how is penny Wise approaching these kids as as now adults. Um So, so there's you know, I think the great way or the right way to do it is to sort of make them these two movies very separate,

like very differently, you know, and then put together. You know, they really sort of compliment each other absolutely. And you know, whenever something as successful as this, you you expect studios, well, squee is every drop out, you know, I mean, you can't blame them. You write it till the wheels fall off. So you know, the cynical might even expect like they'll

probably put together a Pennywise origin movie or something one day. Uh, what I gather from you is that what Stephen King has written is pretty perfect on its own, and expanding beyond that maybe unnecessary. But I don't want to speak for you. What do you you know, I I completely agree and and uh, um, like I said, I I don't. I would never want to end up in this in a sort of money machinery where it's where where the only incentives of doing it is for more money. And

it's like, you know, yeah, that's I don't. That's not why I'm doing this in the first place. And I don't think that that sounds like a very fun part thing to be a part of. So for you know, I we I think that we could and you know, I think the studio is very supportive in this in this as well, but that we can get to do

really interesting and cool movies. Um, they've already surpassed there actually patients as it is, I guess, And then I think, and but yeah, exactly, but and I do really think that we made a very good movie, um, a very good movie. So I think for for number two, it's it's gonna be great and I and I hope that there's room to explore sort of an origin and and and where Pennywise might have come from in the second

one as well. Yeah, there's there's a scene that we shot, UM that was a flashback scene from six hundreds where this where Pennywise was before Pennywise, um, and we shot it as additional um for additional shooting, UM. And the scene turned out really really disturbing. And it's me like I we thought it shot at three different things and I'm not the clown. I look more like myself. There's one where I was like, yeah, I'm not going to spoil sort of what the scene is, but because we

might use it. But it's it's a very disturbing scene of sort of a backs, you know, a backstory for what it is or where where where Pennywise came from, and um, um you know that it might might be something that really worth exploring in the second one as well, you know. So it's like what because I guess dairy was according to the book founded in seventeen fifteen. So this is before there's like a population. Um yeah, yeah, I don't know if it's seventeen maybe maybe you're right.

I think this is like late maybe early sevent late sixteen hundreds um um. And so there was yeah, just when it started being populated. Um. And that's sort of the I think the idea is that Penny or the the entity was sort of dormant or like resting for for thousands and thousands, um yeah, or sort of you know that. Um, it hints on it. And the book is very also very like abstract and metaphysical and what it means to pixes and and an idea of fantasy

and you know, imagination and all these things. So um, I think that could be cool to explore as well, to make something that's more like, you know, what is Penny Wise, And like I said at the point, like that he only exists in the imagination of children, Like if you don't believe him to be real, you might not even be real, you know. I think that, like, like there's an interesting aspect to explore there. So well,

let's talk briefly before we close out here. You're shooting Castle Rock now to the extent that you can talk about it. Just how's that going? What? What's uh it like being in Stephen King's world in a different way. Um, Yeah, it's Um, it's going really well. I mean we're I'm just sort of it's just sort of picking up for me. Um and UM, I think they're gonna kill me if I say anything about what the show is about. But but but I can tell you that it's the character

I'm playing is very different from from Penny Wise. It's a UM, it's also a kind of a transformative character that he's very different for me and um, but I'm playing much more with sort of subtleties Pennyways. There's a lot of things, but it's not one of them. Uh. So UM, and I've I've I've had so much fun with it, and I'm really enjoying the project and and and I'm really enjoying the character I'm playing. So I'm

I'm really excited for it. And with TV shows, it's like, I don't I've read four episodes and we're shooting ten. It's an anthology shows. It adds a full ending to it, and I don't know really what's gonna happen, And I I sort I don't know what the finale is going to be, so it's like it's I'm on this sort of discovering journey as I'm shooting it, and I'm completely hooked, you know, on the show. Like I'm like, I really

want to find out what's gonna happen next. So where the Sam Sewan and Dustin Thomas and the show runners. And they've done an incredible job so far. Awesome. Well, the last thing here on a light and completely different note. I just wanted to get your action to this because it made me laugh. Hopefully it doesn't make you uncomfortable or your girlfriend uncomfortable. But I was reading some headlines. They cracked me up. I'm going to read them to you.

Bill scars Guard is extremely hot and we are not clowning around boo. It's penny Wise. Bill scars Guard is hot as fun, and now we're reevaluating our relationship with creepy clowns. These are actual headlines. How to deal with the fact that the clown from it is very hot in real life. I like that it's a how to This one's my favorite. Alas people online are quite horny for penny Wise, the clown. I like that because of the alas waiting for anyway, So I guess you're like

a sex symbol or something. Now is that weird? Um? What in its context? Yeah, I would say it's extremely weird. Um. I have a friend who a comedian, um, and he was like, oh, boy, like you're gonna have some interesting girls after you when this movie comes out, Like there's going to be this nit nish of people that are into some really dark word you know, funked up ship. All the fetishes are going to come out of the closet. Yeah, exactly. Um yeah, I don't know, man, It's it's like it's

I think it's I think it's fun. Like I mean because I don't think anybody thinks penny Wise is hot and right, so um yeah, I think that's the thing. They see you and you're this tall, handsome guy and they're like, oh, penny Wise is a looker. Yeah, It's it's strange. I mean, I don't know, like there's like, um, like they're so like I could be I'm really really disturbing, even without the you know, makeup as as the character.

And like I was like even my cousin Nick after the premiere, she was like, uh, in Stockholm, and she was like so uh like the voice, like there's a lot of work on it, like there's a lot of effects, and she thought that my voice was like tampered with um, which was like I was like almost I guess, like, oh, thank you, but also like like do you think that do you think that there was so much like there was so little of my performance in it. I need so much work. Yeah that it was like, um, I

don't know, but it's it's it's it's for me. It's so much fun to sort of have this break up part and it's such a transformative character where it's like, yeah, you can make a headline to like, oh, this guy doesn't look like this creepy clowns in real life. Well, the movie is called it. If you haven't seen it, you should probably go out and see it so you can join this conversation. It seems like everyone else has seen it. Uh, Bill scars Guard, thanks for coming on

the show. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Thank you. When you're a kid, I think the universe of alls around you. Do you think that you'll always be protected and cared for? Then one day you realize that's not true. Because when you're alone, the kid the monster see you is weaker. You don't even know if they're getting closer until it's too late. M h yeah. Take My grandfather thinks it's Thomas cursed, that all the bad things that happened in this town are because of one thing, an

evil thing. Oh, if you come with me, so full too. I saw something clown, Yeah, I saw him too. What happens when another chorgy goes mission or what have I? Are you just gonna pretend it isn't happening, like everyone else in this town would just stick together when ye