Summary

• Bill Skarsgård excels in horror projects, outpacing his talented family in Hollywood.
• Skarsgård's diverse horror roles showcase his versatility and range as an actor.
• From playing Pennywise to embodying nuanced characters, Skarsgård is a rising horror legend.

Bill Skarsgård is rapidly proving his talents for starring in horror projects with a growing number of iconic horror roles. Skarsgård hails from a family of incredibly talented individuals who have become incredibly popular and well known in Hollywood. While his father, Stellan Skarsgård, currently stands as potentially the most recognizable actor within the family for his roles in Thor, Dune, Mamma Mia, and more, Bill has rapidly outpaced his siblings, Alexander and Gustaf. However, Bill is also establishing his career within a niche that the rest of his family have yet to break into; horror.

From the age of 10, Bill has been appearing in TV and films in European productions, before breaking into American and English-speaking roles. However, his big break came when he landed the lead role of the terrifying Pennywise the Clown in 2017s It. From that moment, Skarsgård's path into becoming a horror legend has been ongoing. Now, he is set to star in several more iconic horror remakes, with The Crow and Nosferatu, both of which he plays the titular lead in. However, Skarsgård has already amassed several other horror credits to his name, which are all worthy entries within the genre.

7 Assassination Nation (2018)

Bill Skarsgård as Mark

In 2018, Skarsgård landed a small ing role in Assassination Nation, following on from his major success in It. The film generally received positive reviews, although it didn't gain widespread popularity. As an independent production, the release was pretty small, but it stands up as a solid satirical comedy horror film. The story follows a group of people from the town of Salem, who become targets in a series of cyberattacks that expose their secrets to the world.

While some major figures in the town are initially attacked, and it leads to their tragic and shocking demise, the hacker soon turns on students like Lily, exposing their cheating and lewd behavior. Skarsgård plays Mark, Lily's unwitting boyfriend who turns on her once the secrets of her disloyalty are revealed, and he further spreads the information, leading to her being disgraced and viciously attacked. Skarsgård does a great job despite his minor role, but this is also one of his smallest roles in a horror pic to date.

6 Villains (2019)

Bill Skarsgård as Mickey

Villains is a black comedy horror movie which stars Skarsgård as the leading man, Mickey. The film was first released at the 2019 South by Southwest festival before receiving a wider public release later in the same year. The film follows two young people who rob a gas station and set off to make a new life for themselves in another state. However, on the way, they run into car trouble, and approach an isolated home in order to seek help.

Where the movie breaks off and becomes incredibly unique and exciting is the idea of pitting a group of criminals against another set of criminals, and playing into the silly and funny nature of the film. Mickey and his girlfriend rob a gas station at gunpoint, but when they uncover a couple's dark secret, they are horrified and attempt to make things right. As a black comedy, the film then leans heavily into the ridiculous and comical moments of these characters fighting it out. Skarsgård does an incredible job playing a nuanced and layered character that proves he is more than just another villain.

5 It: Chapter Two (2019)

Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise

Also in 2019, Skarsgård returned to his breakout role, playing Pennywise on his second outing in It: Chapter Two. The films, which are based on the incredible novel by horror legend Stephen King, was broken up into two movies in order to capture the full scale of the story which plays out across multiple decades. Where the first film mostly explored the kids fighting the evil entity in Derry, the sequel jumped forward in time to see the children fully grown, returning to their childhood homes in order to confront the evil that they believed they had overcome as kids.

The film is notably less powerful than the original, as it has the difficult job of tying up the loose ends and jumping between times to provide a satisfying and meaningful resolution to the story. While the first movie could focus on one aspect and refine the quality overall. However, Skarsgård stands out for his impeccable performance in both. His ability to transform and fully become a monster that could only exist in the imagination is incredible and brings justice to a character that felt impossible to adequately adapt to. From his voice to his facial expressions, Skarsgård excels as Pennywise.

4 Hemlock Grove (2013-2015)

Bill Skarsgård as Roman Godfrey

Earlier in his career, before fully breaking into Hollywood, Skarsgård had a leading role in the popular Netflix horror series, Hemlock Grove. The series explores the events which occur in a small community in Pennsylvania which appears to be shrouded in mystery and misfortune. Hemlock Grove is plagued with murders, monsters, and massive disparity. The town is also largely run by the wealthy Godfrey family, who appear to be involved in everything that happens there. Skarsgård plays the heir to the Godfrey empire and fortune, Roman, and he befriends a newcomer to the town by the name of Peter Rumancek.

Together, Roman and Peter set out to uncover what is really going on in the town, whilst also trying to maintain their own dark secrets. While these characters are the heroic protagonists of the story, they each have a dark side, with Roman being an Upir, which is closely related to the more commonly known vampires, and Peter is a werewolf. Once again, Skarsgård proves his talents and his range in a role that required a lot of him, and he did a great job leading the series throughout it's limited three-season run.

3 Barbarian (2022)

Bill Skarsgård as Keith

Barbarian is a wild and intense horror thriller by writer and director Zach Cregger that initially played at the 2022 San Diego Comic Con before being released in theaters later that year. The film stars Skarsgård alongside Georgina Campbell and veteran horror star, Justin Long. The film is dark and intense, with a compelling story that engages viewers and keeps them guessing at what happens next until the very end.

Skarsgård plays Keith, a man who books into a rental home, but soon finds himself ed by a woman who appears to have been sold the booking as well. The pair become comfortable with each other quickly and agree to share the accommodation, with Keith staying on the couch, but then things take a turn. This is one of the few roles where Skarsgård plays a genuinely good and innocent character, as opposed to the films where he is often a villain or anti-hero. However, Skarsgård's versatility sees him play the role to perfection.

2 Castle Rock (2018-2019)

Bill Skarsgård as The Kid

Another horror television series that Skarsgård had a leading role in was Castle Rock, which aired between 2018 and 2019 on Hulu. Fittingly, the story is based on a combination of elements from the imagination of Stephen King, and it aired between Skarsgård appearing in the first and second It films. Castle Rock is an anthology style horror series, with the first and second seasons being mostly independent of one another, despite having some small crossovers and connections. The show is largely a psychological horror with mystery and thriller elements incorporated throughout.

Skarsgård was actually present in both seasons, with a major role in season 1, and a minor return in the second and final seasons. He plays a mysterious and tragic character known as The Kid, who appears to wreak havoc and chaos wherever he goes. He spent decades trapped in a prison alone, with his previous security guard believing him to be the devil. The Kid is a pivotal figure in the show around which many of the mysteries revolve and Skarsgård does a fantastic job playing a conflicted and dangerous figure shrouded in mystery.

1 It (2017)

Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise

Finally, Skarsgård's best and most remarkable performance in a horror project to date remains the one that established him as a notable figure within that space. Playing Pennywise in the 2017 It movie, Skarsgård became an immediate sensation for his exceptional talent and the ability to become a monster, with the aid of some practical costuming and computer-generated horrors. Pennywise is one of the most terrifying creatures in modern horror, and Skarsgård embodies the role in a way that feels impossible to replicate. From the contortions of his facial expressions, to the creepy movements he utilizes in his performance, it's equally terrifying and irable.

The first movie introduces and establishes the supernatural horror that plagues the city of Derry. An air of anger, hatred and violence that permeates the city and appears to poison the citizens towards horrific and cruel acts. And at the center of it all, there is one unknowable creature that embodies fear, shapeshifts to torment the community, and reveals a dark and monstrous side to the citizens. Pennywise is truly Bill Skarsgård's most incredible performance to date, but with so many great titles on the horizon, he is sure to create more brilliant and terrifying characters in the near future.