There’s a certain aura around Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
Otherwise known as the Eater of Worlds, Stephen King’s flesh-munching demon simply oozes terror from every pore. And don’t we know all about it – It being one of the 2017’s bona fide success stories.
Anchored by a truly unforgettable performance from Bill Skarsgård – so unforgettable, in fact, that the actor himself still suffers nightmares of Pennywise – the New Line sleeper hit blew the doors off the worldwide box office, and later broke records left, right, and center in its journey to a $700 million gross.
That’s a staggering, record-setting haul for an R-rated horror movie, particularly one that features a cast of relative unknowns. Speaking of which, in honor of the film’s recent Blu-ray launch (it’s now available on Amazon), Screen Rant caught up with Sophia Lillis (Beverly), Jaeden Lieberher (Bill), and Jackson Robert Scott (Georgie) to discuss all things Pennywise, including how Skarsgård’s killer clown was kept separate from the rest of the cast.
Sophia Lillis: Kept him separate.
Jackson Robert Scott: Separate.
Jaeden Lieberher: He was always separated from us. He has own little tent and we didn’t see him for like the first month of shooting.
A shrewd strategy designed to amplify Pennywise’s aura, all the while ensuring that those young actors are genuinely spooked when they see Bill Skarsgård in full costume.
Asked if the tactic worked, the Losers’ Club continued:
JL: Well, I mean, you know, it is scary being around him because it is just kind of it’s awkward because he’s not a real human being with that make-up on, you know? He’s just, everything about him is abnormal and the proportions are off, and so it’s just interesting. It’s like being next to a cartoon character just feel strange. Kind of scary.
SL: I thought it was hilarious. It was really funny meeting seeing him for the first time because his whole clown costume and he was just talking normally, saying, “hi, how is your day?” I laughed hysterically when I first saw him and I don’t think he could see me at first because of his contacts. Like he couldn’t see much through it so he didn’t see me laughing hysterically, but uh, I was.
Fear not, as Pennywise has been banished until 2019 – September of 2019, to be specific, when New Line and Warner Bros. will reunite the Losers’ Club for It: Chapter Two.
