Bill Skarsgård on Playing Pennywise the Clown

Summary

In this interview excerpt, the guest from Stockholm discusses their acting career and family, including their father Stellan Skarsgård and brother Alexander Skarsgård. They share anecdotes about growing up with an actor for a father, visiting exotic film locations, and the impact on their own acting aspirations. The conversation also touches on their role in the movie 'IT,' including interactions with young actors on set and the challenges of playing a frightening character.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The guest is from Stockholm, Sweden, and has been living on the road for seven years.
• 🎬 The guest's father, Stellan Skarsgård, is a well-known actor, and the family has a strong acting background.
• 👨‍👧‍👦 The guest has eight siblings, with half of them pursuing acting careers, including the guest's brother Alexander.
• 🏠 The guest's father would bring the entire family to his international film shoots, creating a unique childhood experience.
• 🎭 The guest's interest in acting was sparked at a young age, influenced by seeing their father on sets with different personas.
• 🤡 The guest plays the character Pennywise the Clown in the movie 'IT', which is a role that involves scaring children.
• 👶 The guest had a memorable first day on set with a young actor named Jack Racer, who played Eddie in the movie.
• 😱 The guest was concerned about traumatizing the young actors while performing intense scenes but was reassured by their professionalism.
• 🎉 The guest received applause from the audience for the portrayal of Pennywise, indicating a positive reception of their performance.
• 😂 Jimmy, the host, jokes about the reason clowns hate children being related to the guest's performance.
• 😨 The guest has become known for acting in scary movies, despite not particularly enjoying the sensation of fear themselves.

Q & A

Where is the interviewee from?

The interviewee is from Stockholm, Sweden.

How long has the interviewee been 'on the road'?

The interviewee has been 'on the road' for seven years.

What is the interviewee's relationship to Stellan Skarsgård?

The interviewee is Stellan Skarsgård's child.

How many of Stellan Skarsgård's children are actors?

Half of Stellan Skarsgård's eight children are actors.

What was the interviewee's experience growing up in an acting family?

The interviewee grew up visiting exotic locations with their father, Stellan Skarsgård, who would bring the entire family to film sets.

What was the interviewee's first impression of acting as a child?

As a child, the interviewee found acting appealing, particularly the idea of being paid to act like a child in a fantastical way.

What was the interviewee's experience on the set of the movie 'IT'?

The interviewee played a clown character that was intense and scary, which led to a memorable first day of shooting with a young actor named Jack Racer.

How did the young actors on the set of 'IT' react to the interviewee's character?

The young actors were professional, and one, Jack Racer, appreciated the intensity the interviewee brought to the character despite the scary scenes.

How does the interviewee feel about scary movies?

The interviewee has become a genre actor in scary movies but personally does not enjoy being scared and gets upset and angry.

What is the interviewee's opinion on the sensation of fear?

The interviewee believes that the sensation of fear is something people should avoid, aligning with the idea that fear is a signal to escape danger.

What was Jimmy's reaction to the interviewee's description of the 'IT' movie scene?

Jimmy expressed concern that the interviewee was traumatizing the child actor during the intense scene, but also found it amusing.