Bill Skarsgård | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Skarsgård at the 2018San Diego Comic Con | |
| Born | Bill Istvan Günther Skarsgård (1990-08-09)9 August 1990 (age 35) Stockholm, Sweden |
| Education | Södra Latin |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Partner | Alida Morberg |
| Children | 2 |
| Father | Stellan Skarsgård |
| Relatives |
|
Bill Istvan Günther Skarsgård (Swedish:[ˈbɪlːˈskɑ̌ːʂɡoːɖ]ⓘ; born 9 August 1990) is a Swedish actor. He is best known for portrayingPennywise in the horror filmsIt (2017) andIt Chapter Two (2019) and the television seriesIt: Welcome to Derry (2025–present) andCount Orlok inNosferatu (2024). Skarsgård's roles asmonsters and othernon-human characters have led him to be described as acreature actor by media sources.[1][2][3] He has received multiple awards and nominations, including aSatellite Award and aBerlinale Award. Films in which he has appeared have grossed over $3.3 billion worldwide.[4]
Skarsgård started his career as achild actor, starring inWhite Water Fury (2000), alongside his brotherAlexander. After pursuing an education atSödra Latin, he landed his first major role inSimple Simon (2010). He gained international recognition as main role inHemlock Grove (2013–2015). His first major American role was in theRobert Schwentke-directed dystopianThe Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016).
Skarsgård won multiple nominations for his role as Pennywise inIt (2017), including a nominatedSaturn Award for Best Supporting Actor, a nominatedMTV Movie Award for Best Villain, and a nominatedTeen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain.[5][6]
Skarsgård has starred in two films produced bySam Raimi:Boy Kills World (2023) andLocked (2024).[7]
Skarsgård was born on 9 August 1990 inVällingby, Stockholm, Sweden, the son of actorStellan Skarsgård and physician My Skarsgård.[8][9][10] He has seven siblings, including actorsAlexander,Gustaf,Valter, andKolbjörn.[11][12]
In 2011, Skarsgård was nominated for aGuldbagge Award for his leading role as Simon inSimple Simon.[13] At the age of 21, he won the European Film Academy'sShooting Stars Award in 2012.[14] Beginning in 2013, Skarsgård played the role of Roman Godfrey in the Netflix originalHemlock Grove.
In April 2014, Skarsgård featured on the cover ofHero – a bi-annual men's fashion and culture magazine, shot byHedi Slimane. In the issue, he is interviewed by his father.[15] Skarsgård played Matthew in the science fiction thrillerThe Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016), his first major American film.[16]
Skarsgård portrayedPennywise the Dancing Clown in the 2017 filmIt and reprised the role later in the 2019 sequelIt Chapter Two, as well as in the 2025 prequel seriesIt: Welcome to Derry, directed byAndy Muschietti.[17] 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."[18]
Skarsgård was a series regular on 2018'sCastle Rock, as a young man with an unusual legal problem.[19] That same year, he portrayed the minor role ofZeitgeist inDeadpool 2.[20] In 2020, he played Mateo in episode 4 ofAMC's anthology seriesSoulmates. In 2021, he voiced the main antagonistKro inEternals. In the 2022 Netflix miniseriesClark, Skarsgård portrayedClark Olofsson, the notorious Swedish criminal whose involvement in theNorrmalmstorg robbery gave rise to the termStockholm syndrome.[21] In 2023, Skarsgård played the lead villain role of Marquis de Gramont inJohn Wick: Chapter 4.
In 2024, Skarsgård began taking on moreleading man roles and was the titular character inBoy Kills World.[22] He then starred in the 2024 rebootThe Crow, directed byRupert Sanders.[23] 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."[24] Finally, he co-starred as the vampireCount Orlok in theremake ofNosferatu, directed byRobert Eggers.[25] To play the part, Skarsgård worked with an opera coach to lower his vocal register, adapted a Transylvanian accent and wore 60 prosthetics.[26][27] 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."[18]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."[28]
In 2025, Skarsgård starred inLocked. He said performing alone and the "street weasel quality" of his character drew him to the part and added: "I read the script forLocked around the tail end ofNosferatu production ... I often instinctively want to go somewhere that's the polar opposite of my current project, just to keep challenging myself."[29] He then starred in the critically acclaimedcrime thrillerDead Man's Wire, directed byGus 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."[30] Skarsgård's performance in the film was praised, with William Bibbiani ofTheWrap calling him "brilliant" and writing "Skarsgård is a captivating chaos gremlin... he's such a chameleon..."[31] David Rooney ofTheHollywoodReporter deemed it his best work so far and said it was "a crackling performance full of unforced humor".[32] Co-starDacre 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."[33]
In 2026, Skarsgård will co-star oppositeHugh Jackman inThe Death of Robin Hood asLittle John. Skarsgård started shooting the film only three days after wrappingDead Man's Wire; he shaved his head and did a Yorkshire accent for his part.[30] Skarsgård will also appear inThe Mosquito Bowl.
Skarsgård is in a relationship with actressAlida Morberg.[34] In October 2018, the couple had their first child.[34][35] They had a second child in 2023.[36]
In February 2024, Skarsgård was arrested and fined forcannabis possession in Sweden.[37]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| 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 | Main role; also executive producer[45] |
| Year | Nominated work | Association | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Simple Simon | Guldbagge Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |
| Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in an International Feature Film – Leading Young Actor | Nominated | |||
| 2012 | Himself | Berlin International Film Festival | Shooting Stars Award | Won | |
| 2017 | It | Fright Meter Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Won | |
| Seattle Film Critics Awards | Best Villain | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | [5] | |
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Villain | Nominated | [46] | ||
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Villain | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | It Chapter Two | Fright Meter Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |
| Best Ensemble Cast | Won | ||||
| 2024 | Nosferatu | 8th Astra Film Awards | Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller Film | Nominated | |
| Seattle Film Critics Awards | Best Villain | Nominated | |||
| 2025 | Satellite Awards | Best Cast – Motion Picture | Won | ||
| 2026 | It – Welcome to Derry | Saturn Awards | Best Guest Starring Role on Television | Pending | [47] |
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
