Key Highlights:
- Bill Skarsgård revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he occasionally slips into his Pennywise and Count Orlok voices at home when his children misbehave.
- The actor addressed his future with antagonistic roles, stating he feels “spent” unless an offer presents a completely original challenge.
- Skarsgård joked about playing a potential James Bond villain while confirming he plans to be selective and avoid becoming jaded with acting roles.
Bill Skarsgård Reveals Household Use of Horror Voices
Bill Skarsgård, widely acclaimed for his transformative horror performances, has admitted that his sinister on-screen voices occasionally find their way into his household parenting. During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Swedish actor opened up to host Josh Horowitz about how his terrifying character personas surface around the family home he shares with his partner, Alida Morberg, and their two children.
When Josh Horowitz questioned whether Skarsgård ever subjected his children to the eerie vocal mannerisms of Pennywise the Dancing Clown, asking, I would imagine you’re not doing your Pennywise voice in the company of your children,
and have they heard you do Pennywise?
Skarsgård admitted that the vocal switch serves as an occasional parenting deterrent if his kids step out of line. Explaining how the character resurfaces, Skarsgård explained: He can slip out there,
adding, Can slip in, can slip out.
From Derry’s Demon to Count Orlok: The Voices That Follow Him Home
Pennywise—the shape-shifting cosmic evil that surfaces every 27 years in Derry, Maine—is not the only unsettling voice to linger off-set. Bill Skarsgård also confessed that Count Orlok, his character from the 2024 reimagining of the 1922 silent classic Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, has made sudden appearances at home. Describing the psychological mix of his various monster roles, Skarsgård remarked: There’s a whole colourful bunch of schizophrenic daddy,
acknowledging that the vocal traits of both the child-eating clown and the bloodthirsty vampire have lingered in his everyday life.
Skarsgård’s work as Pennywise originated in 2017’s It, where he took over the part made famous by the late Tim Curry, before returning for It Chapter Two in 2019 and reprising the persona for the 2025 HBO prequel series It: Welcome to Derry. Combined with his physical embodiment of Count Orlok—a visceral creature that eschews classic throat-biting to gnaw through victims’ chests straight to the heart like a massive leech—Skarsgård has established a distinct niche in modern horror history.
Future Villain Roles and Career Selectivity
Despite his commanding track record in horror, Skarsgård indicated that he may be stepping back from grotesque antagonists unless a project offers a genuinely novel creative angle. It would have to be something that felt original to me, that was something that I hadn’t done before. I feel, kind of, spent with those things,
the actor acknowledged. Still, he kept the door cracked for the right opportunity, noting: But there’s villains [that] could be really fun in different ways and if it’s the right kind.
Pondering a shift from demonic monsters to classic cinematic villainy, Skarsgård quipped about the 007 franchise, noting he was never in contention to portray James Bond himself but could see himself as an antagonist. I love to stroke cats,
he joked, before adding, That sounded weird.
Moving forward, Skarsgård aims to preserve his passion for acting by remaining patient between projects. Explaining his process, he said: A lot of people ask me what goes into picking your roles or whatever and I don’t really know how to say it other than I feel drawn or compelled. It’s something that you can’t really put your words on it and describe why it’s happening.
He concluded: I’ve also noticed that I don’t want to become jaded … which means that I think I could probably go long stretches without working and just waiting for something to be compelling enough for me to work on.
Why This Matters
Bill Skarsgård’s comments spotlight the personal and professional aftermath of undertaking intense, highly transformative horror roles. Having cemented his status as one of Hollywood’s premier genre performers through It, Nosferatu, and the upcoming It: Welcome to Derry, his desire to step back from conventional villain roles signals a pivotal turning point in his career trajectory. By actively avoiding burnout and resisting typecasting, Skarsgård joins a wider movement of high-profile character actors who intentionally space out their projects to preserve creative longevity and artistic novelty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Bill Skarsgård use the Pennywise voice at home?
During an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Bill Skarsgård revealed that he occasionally lets the Pennywise voice slip out when his children misbehave, joking alongside host Josh Horowitz about the presence of his horror characters in family life.
Is Bill Skarsgård done playing villains?
Skarsgård shared that he feels “spent” with typical villain roles and is not actively seeking them unless a script offers something truly fresh and unvisited. However, he remains open to the right type of villainous project, including lightheartedly expressing interest in a classic archetype like a James Bond antagonist.
When will Bill Skarsgård play Pennywise again?
Following his performances in 2017’s It and 2019’s It Chapter Two, Skarsgård returns to the role of Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 2025 HBO prequel series It: Welcome to Derry.
