Dancing clown, silent avenger, and elegant marquis — a selection of roles from Hollywood's rising star Bill Skarsgård.
On August 22, a remake starring Bill Skarsgård hits Russian screens. What better reason to recall the most extraordinary and diverse roles the actor has already embodied in his career.
In honor of the 30th anniversary of 'The Crow,' we look at interesting and unexpected facts about the film.
Open material'Battle Creek' (2017)
This is the actor's first leading role in an English-language film. And it's a quiet gem in our list! Few people know about the existence of this film, directed by Clint Eastwood's daughter. In Bill's career, it was preceded by a Scandinavian phase, which is well characterized by the following fact: about a third of the films from that period cannot be found even with English dubbing, let alone Russian voiceover. There were also, of course, supporting roles in the third 'Divergent' and Joe Wright's 'Anna Karenina,' but I bet you probably don't even remember his characters there.
At the center of 'Battle Creek' is the kind-hearted Henry. He works at an auto repair shop and suffers from an extremely rare disease, getting burns from being in the sun. One day, a girl named Alison (Claire van der Boom) arrives in town, and the protagonist immediately falls in love with her. This poetic festival drama shows us Bill in what seems an unusual role for him—a modest, wounded romantic—which is valuable in itself.
'It' (2017, 2019)
It was this role in the highly successful adaptation of Stephen King's novel that brought Bill the most fame and prompted Hollywood bosses to pay attention to the little-known actor. His Pennywise lacks the deceptive charm of the book version, embodied by Tim Curry in the 1990 TV film. Seeing this, even as a naive child, you'd hardly want to approach him, let alone exchange a few words. You'd rather think, 'Maybe forget that paper boat?'
Of course, the image of Pennywise in Andrés Muschietti's duology is not only Skarsgård's achievement but also that of everyone responsible for makeup, costumes, and visual effects. However, this character sticks in memory primarily due to the performer's fierce charisma and his insane portrayals. After the release of the 2019 sequel, many feared the actor would get stuck in the role of horror movie villains, but as we later learn, those fears were unfounded.
'The Devil All the Time' (2020)
In this languid Southern Gothic, Bill plays Russell, a soldier returning from the Pacific front of World War II with post-traumatic stress disorder. He is broken by what he saw in the war, particularly an episode where a comrade was crucified by the Japanese, causing him to feel some rejection of religion and its symbols. Nevertheless, at one point something clicks in his head, and the answer to all of life's challenges becomes prayer. However, the sudden piety that befalls the hero is by no means about going to church on Sundays and saying 'Amen' before dinner.
Perhaps this is the actor's most serious role to date. And in drama, I must say, Bill Skarsgård looks no worse than in the horror or action films he has been frequenting lately.
'Barbarian' (2022)
became a horror sensation in its time for a reason. This film skillfully plays on deceiving audience expectations, presenting a story about a creepy neighbor in the setup, but ultimately taking the story thematically in a completely different direction. The role of this housemate named Keith went to the hero of our selection.
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Open materialIn the first half hour, when the film pretends to be a thriller about a maniac under one roof, the director deliberately manipulates audience expectations, thanks to the fact that the viewer is aware of the actor's horror background. And the latter, in turn, deliberately acts as if his character has something to hide.
'John Wick: Chapter 4' (2023)
of the quadrilogy with Keanu Reeves introduced the Marquis de Gramont as the main antagonist. In fact, it is to him that the High Table entrusts the crucial task of dealing with everything the killer known as 'Baba Yaga' has already done and neutralizing the threat itself. And we haven't seen the actor in such a role, probably, since his Otto in the Norwegian 'Victoria' (2013) based on Knut Hamsun's novel. And how good he is in it!
The fourth part of the 'John Wick' franchise has been officially released in Russian theaters. The story of a hitman who initially took revenge on gangsters for killing his dog and stealing his car continues to expand
Open materialArrogant, aristocratically refined, attractive and repulsive at the same time. Such a villain can hardly evoke empathy or understanding from the viewer, but in this case, that is not required—Skarsgård's Marquis captivates with his outrageousness, charisma, and cold-blooded gaze. It's a pity, though, about the script development...
'Boy Kills World' (2023)
For his role in this film of absurdity, violence, and references, Skarsgård trained hard, matching his on-screen hero, to look impressive. But it wasn't limited to physical transformations: the actor performed most of the stunts himself, without the help of doubles or stuntmen.
In domestic release, 'Boy Kills World' is a comedy action film produced by Sam Raimi and starring Bill Skarsgård. About why you shouldn't miss this attraction
Open materialAnd as a bonus challenge: according to the plot, his character is deaf-mute. Besides being played with breaking the fourth wall and humor in the style of visualizing lip-read words, it also clearly shows how expressive even a silent Skarsgård's facial expressions are.
And whether Bill has managed to secure the honorary title of a new action star, we will find out very soon.
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