Bill Skarsgård

Bill Istvan Günther Skarsgård (; born 9 August 1990) is a Swedish actor, model, producer, and director. He is best known for portraying Pennywise in the horror films It and It Chapter Two (2019) and the television series It: Welcome to Derry (2025–present) and Count Orlok in Nosferatu (2024). Skarsgård's roles as monsters and other non-human characters have led him to be described as a creature actor by media sources. He has received multiple awards and nominations, including a Satellite Award and a Berlinale Award. Films in which he has appeared have grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide.

Skarsgård started his career as a child actor, starring in White Water Fury (2000), alongside his brother Alexander. After pursuing an education at Södra Latin, he landed his first major role in Simple Simon (2010). He gained international recognition as main role in Hemlock Grove (2013–2015). His first major American role was in the Robert Schwentke-directed dystopian The Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016).

Skarsgård won multiple nominations for his role as Pennywise in It (2017), including a nominated Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor, a nominated MTV Movie Award for Best Villain, and a nominated Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain.

Early life Skarsgård was born on 9 August 1990 in Vällingby, Stockholm, Sweden, the son of actor Stellan Skarsgård and physician My Skarsgård. He has seven siblings, including actors Alexander, Gustaf, Valter, and Kolbjörn.

Career 2011–2016: Early work

In 2011, Skarsgård was nominated for a Guldbagge Award for his leading role as Simon in Simple Simon. At the age of 21, he won the European Film Academy's Shooting Stars Award in 2012. Beginning in 2013, Skarsgård played the role of Roman Godfrey in the Netflix original Hemlock Grove.

In April 2014, Skarsgård featured on the cover of Hero – a bi-annual men's fashion and culture magazine, shot by Hedi Slimane. In the issue, he is interviewed by his father. Skarsgård played Matthew in the science fiction thriller The Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016), his first major American film.

2017–present: Breakthrough Skarsgård portrayed Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 2017 film It and reprised the role later in the 2019 sequel It Chapter Two, as well as in the 2025 prequel series It: Welcome to Derry, directed by Andy Muschietti. Speaking about what led him to casting Skarsgård, Muschietti said: "One second he can act all cute, and then the next, there's something ancestral and dark that just appears. His ability to transform is mind-blowing to me." That same year, he portrayed the minor role of Zeitgeist in Deadpool 2. In 2020, he played Mateo in episode 4 of AMC's anthology series Soulmates. In 2021, he voiced the main antagonist Kro in Eternals. In the 2022 Netflix miniseries Clark, Skarsgård portrayed Clark Olofsson, the notorious Swedish criminal whose involvement in the Norrmalmstorg robbery gave rise to the term Stockholm syndrome. In 2023, Skarsgård played the lead villain role of Marquis de Gramont in John Wick: Chapter 4.

In 2024, Skarsgård began taking on more leading man roles and was the titular character in Boy Kills World. He then starred in the 2024 reboot The Crow, directed by Rupert Sanders. Skarsgård said: "I had a great shoot, a lot of night shoots. … You're kind of preoccupied in a bleak state of mind for a while. I like to be consumed by it when I'm doing it. Actually, we were working out a lot, I found it really helpful. There's nothing like being tired and sweaty to get the demons out." Finally, he co-starred as the vampire Count Orlok in the remake of Nosferatu, directed by Robert Eggers. To play the part, Skarsgård worked with an opera coach to lower his vocal register, adapted a Transylvanian accent and wore 60 prosthetics. Speaking on his experience portraying the titular role, Skarsgård said: "It was like conjuring pure evil. It took a while for me to shake off the demon that had been conjured inside of me." Nicholas Hoult, Skarsgård's co-star in the film, proclaimed that Skarsgård "gives a truly transformative performance ... it's scary and intimidating. His voice, his physicality ... it's really a wonderful character and he did beautiful character work with it."

In 2025, Skarsgård starred in Locked. He said performing alone and the "street weasel quality" of his character drew him to the part and added: "I read the script for Locked around the tail end of Nosferatu production ... I often instinctively want to go somewhere that's the polar opposite of my current project, just to keep challenging myself." He then starred in the critically acclaimed crime thriller Dead Man's Wire, directed by Gus Van Sant. Speaking about taking on his role in the film, Skarsgård said: "It was very juicy and it's a character that I was so blessed with: very complex, fun and dynamic, and [it required] a type of performance I certainly haven't done in America before... There's no blocking, there are no real hit marks (and) that presents accidents and spontaneous things. You feel very free." Skarsgård's performance in the film was praised, with William Bibbiani of TheWrap calling him "brilliant" and writing "Skarsgård is a captivating chaos gremlin... he's such a chameleon..." David Rooney of TheHollywoodReporter deemed it his best work so far and said it was "a crackling performance full of unforced humor". Co-star Dacre Montgomery commented on working with Skarsgard: "I just can't say enough good things about Bill. He's wonderful. He's the best friend I've made on a set. He's one of the best scene partners I've ever had. He gives it his all." In 2026, Skarsgård co-star opposite Hugh Jackman in The Death of Robin Hood as Little John. Skarsgård started shooting the film only three days after wrapping Dead Man's Wire; he shaved his head and did a Yorkshire accent for his part. In October 2018, the couple had their first child. They had a second child in 2023.

In February 2024, Skarsgård was arrested and fined for cannabis possession in Sweden.

Filmography Film

Year Title Role Notes 2000 White Water Fury Klasse 2008 Pigan brinner! Tonårs-Nosferatu Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End Erik 2009 Kenny Begins Pontus 2010 Simple Simon Simon Behind Blue Skies Martin 2011 The Crown Jewels Richard Persson Simon & the Oaks Simon 2012 Anna Karenina Captain Makhotin 2013 Victoria Otto 2016 The Divergent Series: Allegiant Matthew 2017 Atomic Blonde Merkel Do You Like the Taste of Beer Man It Pennywise the Dancing Clown / Bob Gray Battlecreek Henry Pearl Moomins and the Winter Wonderland Moomintroll Voice 2018 Assassination Nation Mark Deadpool 2 Axel Cluney / Zeitgeist 2019 Villains Mickey It Chapter Two Pennywise the Dancing Clown / Bob Gray 2020 Nine Days Kane The Devil All the Time Willard Russell 2021 Naked Singularity Dane Eternals Kro Voice 2022 Barbarian Keith Toshko Also executive producer Burn All My Letters Sven Stolpe 2023 John Wick: Chapter 4 Marquis Vincent de Gramont Boy Kills World Boy2024 The CrowEric Draven / The Crow Nosferatu Count Orlok 2025 Locked Eddie Barrish Dead Man's Wire Tony Kiritsis 2026 The Death of Robin Hood Little John 2027 Anton Orlov Post-production Philip II of Spain Completed Post-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 2002 Laura Trenter – Dad, the Policeman Tony 2 episodes 2009 Livet i Fagervik Mårten 1 episode 2013–2015 Hemlock Grove Roman Godfrey Main role 2018–2019 Castle Rock Henry Deaver / The Kid (season 1)The Angel (season 2) Main role (season 1); guest star (season 2) 2020 Soulmates Mateo Episode: "Layover" 2022 Clark Clark Olofsson Main role 2025–present It: Welcome to Derry Pennywise the Dancing Clown / Bob Gray Main role; 4 episodes; also executive producer

Awards and nominations Year Nominated work Association Category Result 2011Simple Simon Guldbagge Awards Best Actor Young Artist Awards Best Performance in an International Feature Film – Leading Young Actor 2012 Himself Berlin International Film Festival Shooting Stars Award 2017 It Fright Meter Awards Best Supporting Actor Seattle Film Critics Awards Best Villain 2018 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actor MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Villain Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Villain 2020 It Chapter Two Fright Meter Awards Best Supporting Actor Best Ensemble Cast 2024 Nosferatu 8th Astra Film Awards Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller Film Seattle Film Critics Awards Best Villain 2025 Satellite Awards Best Cast – Motion Picture 2026 It: Welcome to Derry Saturn Awards Best Guest Starring Role on Television