The young cast of IT: Welcome to Derry was not prepared for their first meeting with Bill Skarsgård in full Pennywise costume. In a recent interview, actress Matilda Lawler, who plays Marge Truman, said the encounter was genuinely terrifying. The show’s producers deliberately kept Skarsgård away from his younger co-stars until they filmed a key scene together, ensuring their scared reactions on camera were completely real.
The Cast’s First Look at Pennywise Was a Real Shock
Matilda Lawler, along with co-stars Amanda Christine and Clara Stack, described the moment they first saw Skarsgård transformed into the clown. Lawler admitted she tried to prepare but found it impossible.
“I definitely was mentally preparing myself to be horrified by Bill, but you’re right, you can’t prepare for that. It’s an entirely unique experience that I cannot describe with any other word, but terror,” Lawler told Collider.
She explained that the combined effect of Skarsgård’s physical performance, the detailed makeup, the costume, and the energy he brought to the character was overwhelming. Lawler noted that while Skarsgård is nice off set, when he becomes Pennywise, the feeling of terror is immediate and unforgettable.
Amanda Christine revealed that the production kept Pennywise’s appearance a secret. The actors did not see Skarsgård in costume until they filmed their first sewer scene with him in Episode 5. This meant the fear captured on screen is authentic.
“They kept him top secret. They kept him away from us until we got to that specific sewer scene. That reaction you see is our real reaction,” Christine said.
Clara Stack confirmed this, adding that seeing the iconic villain from the movies standing in front of them was both intimidating and impressive.
Why the Show Waited to Reveal Pennywise
The delayed introduction of Pennywise was a deliberate creative choice by the show’s producers. Executive producer Jason Fuchs explained that as a shape-shifter, the entity known as IT can appear as anything. The team wanted to explore other forms of IT and slowly build tension before revealing its most famous clown form.
Director and executive producer Andy Muschietti described it as a game with the audience, building a need to see the clown. Executive producer Barbara Muschietti compared Pennywise to a shark, stating they did not want the audience to get too comfortable seeing him.
Co-showrunner Brad Caleb Kane said holding back Pennywise allowed the show to first explore the personal fears and generational trauma of the young characters. Now that Pennywise has appeared, the producers promise he will be a consistent presence. “Expect a lot of Pennywise! Once Pennywise makes his debut… He’s in! He’s another character,” said Fuchs and Kane.
Matilda Lawler’s Intense Eye Horror Scene
One of the most disturbing scenes in the series so far features Lawler’s character, Marge. In Episode 4, after being targeted by IT, Marge experiences a hallucination where her eyes bulge out grotesquely. In a panic, she runs to her school’s woodshop and tries to cut them out.
Lawler broke down filming the complex scene, which involved wearing a prosthetic piece with wires attached to simulate the protruding eyes.
“I was basically like running down hallways, screaming, crying over these wires coming out of my eyes,” Lawler told Decider. She joked that if a stranger saw her, they might question her sanity.
Despite the horror, Lawler called the experience a “blast” to film, especially the intense final moments with co-star Clara Stack. Her commitment deeply impressed her colleagues. Co-star Blake Cameron James said Lawler commits to her character more than any actor he has worked with.
The scene is rooted in Marge’s deep insecurities about her appearance, particularly her glasses. Andy Muschietti hinted there is a specific, yet-to-be-revealed reason Marge wears “Coke bottle glasses,” which will be explained by the season’s end.
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Connecting to the IT Movies and Looking Ahead
The prequel series is creating deeper links to the IT films. Episode 5 revealed a connection by showing that young Lilly Bainbridge is friends with Mrs. Ingrid Kersh. In IT Chapter Two, an elderly Mrs. Kersh appears as a terrifying monster who attacks Beverly Marsh. The show is exploring how this kind woman becomes that horrific creature.
The cast has teased that the first season’s finale will deliver major shocks. Clara Stack promised that the final episodes are packed with plot twists and tense sequences.
“Honestly, reading the scripts, it was just shock after shock after shock… I think people watching are just going to be really terrified and really shocked,” Stack said.
Matilda Lawler added that the last episodes will explore the origins of the entity and connect more deeply to the events of the movies.
IT: Welcome to Derry releases new episodes on HBO and HBO Max. The season is scheduled to conclude on December 14, 2025.
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