The new horror series It: Welcome to Derry is terrifying audiences, but the show’s young cast might have been the most scared of all. While filming the prequel series, Bill Skarsgard, who returns as the evil clown Pennywise, played a series of pranks on his younger co-stars to get genuine reactions of fear from them. The adult actors were safe from his tricks, but the children were his main target.
Getting Real Fear on Screen
Getting authentic scared reactions from actors on a busy, well-lit set surrounded by crew can be difficult. To solve this, Bill Skarsgard used playful scares to get into the heads of the young cast. The show’s co-showrunner, Brad Caleb Kane, explained the method behind the madness.
“Oh, he messes with them terribly. Oh my God. He gets in their heads. You have to scare them in real life to scare them on screen, because they’re used to seeing the cameras there, and the lights,” Kane said. “It’s not as scary when there’s a lot of people around, when there’s a giant cast and crew, so Bill has to get in their heads and he does it beautifully. They’re always terrified of him.”
The producers also kept Skarsgard’s presence in his full Pennywise costume a secret from the young actors until the last possible moment to capture their true, unfiltered fear.
The Kids’ Terrifying Encounters
The young actors from the series confirmed that Skarsgard’s pranks were very effective. For Blake Cameron James, who plays Will Hanlon, his first meeting with the clown was a shocking experience.
“Oh my goodness. Literally when we were on the pole, it was this big pole and we were on the platform in the sewers, that was the first time that we met him. He jumped at me trying to scare me on some funny stuff, but it was not funny. That’s not funny at all. I didn’t find humor in it. I didn’t think it was funny. I didn’t giggle. It didn’t tickle my laughter box at all,” James recalled.
Matilda Lawler, who plays Marge, shared a similar sentiment about the sheer terror of seeing Skarsgard in full character. “I was not immune to the terror that is Pennywise. I was absolutely so scared just seeing him in person. There’s nothing like it,” she said.
Amanda Christine, who plays Ronnie, agreed that the secrecy around Skarsgard’s appearances was a key part of the experience. “I was definitely scared too…with them keeping him a secret also gave our true authentic reaction, and our scaredness,” Christine noted.
A Hesitant Return to the Clown Role
While Skarsgard is now fully back in the role, the actor was initially hesitant to return to the character that made him famous. Andy Muschietti, the co-creator and executive producer of the series, revealed that Skarsgard had reservations.
Muschietti explained that because Skarsgard takes his art seriously, living in the head of such a dark character takes a toll. After playing several dark roles since the original films, the actor was hesitant to revisit Pennywise. However, after discussions about the new story, he agreed to return, also serving as an executive producer on the series.
Pennywise’s Role in the New Series
The series, which premiered on October 26, 2025, on HBO, is set in 1962 and explores the early evil events in the cursed town of Derry, Maine. While the shape-shifting entity known as “It” has already appeared in its horrifying forms, fans are eagerly awaiting the specific return of Skarsgard’s Pennywise the Clown.
Reports suggest that the iconic clown form will make its first appearance in the fifth episode of the eight-episode season. This strategy is intentional. Executive producer Barbara Muschietti emphasized the importance of keeping Pennywise unpredictable to maintain his power to scare. Showrunner Brad Caleb Kane added that the series aims to spend more time on the other frightening forms the entity can take, saving the clown for maximum impact.
“You want to portion out Bill. We know the character of Pennywise is there early on,” Kane said. “You hear his voice, you hear the laugh, you see the balloon… when we do find him again, and we do use him, it’ll be spectacular. And it’ll be a lot more brutal than anything you’ve ever seen in the movie.”
The first season of It: Welcome to Derry is currently airing, with new episodes released weekly.
Also Read: IT: Welcome to Derry Scares Up 5.7 Million Viewers, Becomes HBO Max’s Third-Biggest Premiere
