“It is indescribable”: IT: Welcome to Derry star Matilda Lawler talks about how horrifying it was to see Bill Skarsgård in costume the first time

IT: Welcome to Derry is the prequel series that shows us the origins of the Clown Pennywise, who is known for being the terrifying entity of the IT franchise. Bill Skarsgård, who played the character of Pennywise in It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019), reprises his role for IT: Welcome to Derry, bringing the eerie clown to life once again.

Bill Skarsgård is known for playing Pennywise not only because of his acting capabilities but also because of how scary he looks as Pennywise. The makeup, outfit, and the way he walks and talks all make him a terrifying presence on the screen. He was equally terrifying to his IT: Welcome to Derry fellow cast member, Matilda Lawler, when she saw him in character for the first time.

Matilda Lawler on her reaction to seeing Bill Skarsgård in costume for IT: Welcome to Derry for the first time

Matilda Lawler plays one of the younger characters in IT: Welcome to Derry, Marge Truman, and she has had a few intense experiences with Pennywise so far. We've seen her have a terrifying vision of her eyes bulging out of their sockets and her struggling to see properly, which eventually causes her to harm her own eye by accident. She was also one of the children who witnessed Matty transform into Pennywise and ran away in fear. Matilda Lawler has thus shared quite some time with Bill Skarsgård on screen, but she is unable to describe the feeling of seeing him in costume for the first time.

Speaking with Collider in an interview, Matilda Lawler and some of her fellow castmates were asked if they were prepared to see Skarsgård in costume. In response, Lawler said,

"I definitely was mentally preparing myself to be horrified by Bill, but you’re right, you can’t prepare for that. It’s an entirely unique experience that I cannot describe with any other word, but terror. He’s just so imposing. All the elements combined, with the physical, the costume, the makeup, the wardrobe team, is so phenomenal, and the prosthetics team is so phenomenal. It’s also Bill and the energy that he brings. He is a nice guy off set, but when he’s Pennywise, you feel that terror and it is indescribable. It lives with me."

Skarsgård is not only known for his portrayal of Pennywise but also for how he embodies the entity perfectly. His portrayal of the Clown even scares adults when they are caught off guard, and it's understandable that Lawler felt the terror of the character by just seeing Skarsgård in costume. We will see more of Skarsgård as Pennywise since it is the form the entity likes to present himself in the most.

IT: Welcome to Derry Episode 7, The Black Spot will be released on HBO Max on December 7, 2025. The episode will most likely show us the tragic incident known as the Black Spot, in which the bar frequented by the Black soldiers and where Hank is being kept hidden, was burned down by a white supremacist group.

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