The name “Pennywise” is enough to stir horror in the stoutest of people, andthanks to the depiction of the character by two exceptional actors, that horror has now spread across generations.Tim Curry, last seen playing the Narrator/Criminologist inThe Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again(a remake of the classic film that starred Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter), scarred thousands of people with his portrayal ofStephen King’s Pennywise in the 1990ITTV miniseries.Bill Skarsgårdscarred thousands more with his Pennywise in the 2017ITmovie and its 2019 sequel (and is currently scarring thousands more with the trailer for the upcomingThe Crowremake starring Skarsgårdproving highly divisive) . Two actors that brought different things to the character. Different, evil things that made each depiction unique and iconic. But there can only be one definitive portrayal, so who will it be - Curry, or Skarsgård?Let the Beatdown for King Clown begin!
Seven young outcasts in Derry, Maine, are about to face their worst nightmare – an ancient, shape-shifting evil that emerges from the sewer every 27 years to prey on the town’s children. Banding together over the course of one horrifying summer, the friends must overcome their own personal fears to battle the murderous, bloodthirsty clown known as Pennywise.
Round One: Pennywise’s Appearance Compared To Novel
In King’s novel,Pennywise wears a baggy silk suit of silverwith orange pompoms, a collar ruff, and white gloves. His face is white, his head bald save for red hair on each side. His mouth has a red clown smile, and he’s often holding a bunch of balloons. While it’s been rumored that King based his appearance on Ronald McDonald, Bozo the Clown, Clarabell the Clown, and serial killer/occasional birthday clownJohn Wayne Gacy, King himself has never confirmed it, saying only thathe arrived at the characterafter asking himself, “What scares children more than anything else in the world?” Whether Pennywise is an amalgamation of famous and infamous clowns can be debated, but as far as looking like how the character is described in the novel, this battle isn’t even close.Skarsgård’s Pennywise skews much closer to the appearance of the character in the novel than Curry’s.
WINNER: Skarsgård
Round Two: Pennywise’s Appearance On Screen
However,just because a character’s appearance is faithful to the book doesn’t mean it translates well to the screen. Skarsgård’s Pennywise looks menacing, but doesn’t have a comparable appearance in the real world, or at least not in this century. Curry has the advantage here. His Pennywise is the moretraditionalclown look: big red nose, red hair, and a big, poofy yellow suit adorned with orange pom-poms and a blue and purple jacket.It’s a look which does have roots in the real world. What’s scarier than a clown on screen? Seeing a clown at a circus or other event that looks eerily similar. So similar, you pray that somehow Pennywise didn’t pull aSamaraand walk out of the screen.
WINNER: Curry
Round Three: The Pennywise Voice
Another key difference between the two portrayals ishow eachvoices the character. Curry’s take has a rasp, a growl, to it, but doesn’t really sound all that much different from classic movie villains likeSpider-Man’s Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) or Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). Skarsgård’s is more varied, growly at one moment, eerily soothing the next. It brings to mind the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) inStar Wars Episode IV: Return of the Jedi, assuring Luke (Mark Hamill) that the shield around the Death Star is fully operational. It’s that variety that makes sense of how Pennywise can lure children to him in one moment, and then scare the living s**t out of them the next.
The Origins of Stephen King’s Pennywise Are Pure Nightmare Fuel
A bizarre sight on a plane ride helped create one of horror’s scariest monsters.
Round Four: The Pennywise Creepiness Factor
Both actors play Pennywise’s creepiness factor differently, but equally effective.Curry’s Pennywise has dead, lifeless eyes that are almost indescribable, staring ahead almost vacantly, but not. This is most evident at the beginning, when Curry is talking to Georgie (Tony Dakota).Pennywise is staring at Georgie,but it almost looks like he’s not seeing anything at all… until the eyes turn red, and he goes in for the kill.Skarsgård’s eyes carry more menace behind them, but then he adds thissuper creepy ability to make his eyes go in different directions. Curry adds humor to horror in his portrayal, like asking Richie (Harry Anderson) “Say, do you have Prince Albert in a can?” while taunting him in an increasingly blood-filled library. He also has a penchant for being places one would not expect him to be, like in a graveyard gleefully digging holes. Skarsgård doesn’t use humor as much, but is a constant, unnerving presence in the background, in pictures and in people. His Pennywise also benefits from a larger budget, allowing for scenes like Beverly (Jessica Chastain) being attacked by Pennywisemasquerading as the CGI Mrs. Kersh(Joan Gregson) inIT: Chapter Two.Too tough to call… so we won’t.
WINNER: Draw
Round Five: Pennywise as Nightmare Fuel
As for whichkiller clownsticks around longer in your psyche after the credits roll? Truthfully, this may be a generational thing.Skarsgård is definitely scary, with that face, the ever-present red balloons, and the other forms he takes, like Mrs. Kersh and Paul Bunyan. But for those of us that were young when Curry’s Pennywise came around, there’s no room for Skarsgård’s version.Curry almost single-handedly gave that entire generationcoulrophobia (fear of clowns), with the practical effects of the 1990 series arguably having aged better than the CGI in 2017/2019, and that real-life connection talked about above only keeping that fear alive. That said, it is also likely true that Skarsgård has made that scarring impression on today’s youth, who look upon Curry’s Pennywise as dated. But, going to go with boomer-bias and make the call.
Round Six: The Death of Pennywise
We’ll start with the fact that both renditions of the film have a better ending than theweird, giant cosmic turtle/Ritual of Chudending of the book. Pennywise’s death in 2019’sIT Chapter Two, while better than the novel, is undeniably odd, with the grown Losers basically forcing a Pennywise-spider to turn into a helpless baby Pennywise by hurling insults at it. Yes, words hurt, but seriously?The death of Curry’s Pennywise in 1990 is better than both, but still not great. IT is a part-puppet, partRay Harryhausen-esque stop-motionanimated giant spider, which the Losers rip apart after Beverly (Annette O’Toole) hurts IT by using her slingshot. More to the point, more visceral, but still meh.So we’re going to allow some outside interference from the Pennywise ofThe SimpsonsSeason 34 episodeITparody “Not IT,“Krusto D. Clown (Dan Castellaneta), with his limbs snapping loudly and painfully, one by one, into inhuman angles — a fittingly twisted death for a twisted character.
WINNER: Krusto D. Clown
And The Winner Is…
After tallying the results, it’s Skarsgård 2, Curry 2, one draw and one outsider spoiler vote for Krusto D. Clown, which oddly seems to be the most appropriate result in comparing thetwothree depictions of King’s Pennywise. Check back in 27 years when Pennywise comes back, as he always has, for how the A.I. actor-bot playing the role stacks up against the rest.
It (2017)is available to purchase in the U.S. on Apple TV+.
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