Bill Skarsgård has revealed that his children occasionally get a very different version of their father when they misbehave: Pennywise, the terrifying clown he plays in the IT franchise.

The Swedish actor shared the amusing detail during the November 5, 2026 episode of Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, where a conversation about Halloween took an unexpected turn towards family life.

Horowitz wondered whether Skarsgård's children had ever heard him perform Pennywise's distinctive voice. His answer was immediate: "Yeah, if they misbehave."

And apparently, the clown isn't the only horror character capable of making an appearance at home.

Skarsgård joked that Pennywise can slip in and out of his everyday conversations, while Nosferatu can also make an appearance. The actor portrayed Count Orlok in Robert Eggers' 2024 adaptation of the classic vampire story.

The exchange was delivered humorously rather than as a serious explanation of his parenting methods. Skarsgård did not describe how frequently he uses the voices or how his children respond to them.

Why Bill Skarsgård refuses to dress up as Nosferatu for Halloween

There is an amusing contrast between Skarsgård's willingness to impersonate horror villains at home and his reluctance to dress up as one for Halloween.

During the same interview, the actor explained that his daughter was enthusiastic about Halloween and wanted to dress as a vampire. She even suggested that her father could accompany her as Nosferatu.

Unfortunately, transforming into Count Orlok is considerably more complicated than putting on a cape and a pair of plastic fangs.

Skarsgård recalled explaining that the character's elaborate makeup required hours of professional preparation. After spending so much of his career undergoing physical transformations for film roles, he was understandably reluctant to recreate the experience for a Halloween costume.

That distinction makes his comments about Pennywise particularly funny. A full horror-movie transformation might require an entire makeup department, but the voices are always available.

Nearly a decade of playing Pennywise

Skarsgård first portrayed Pennywise in Andy Muschietti's 2017 adaptation of Stephen King's IT, returning for the 2019 sequel IT Chapter Two and the HBO prequel series IT: Welcome to Derry in 2025.

His interpretation of the character became particularly recognisable for its unsettling voice, exaggerated expressions and unpredictable movements, helping establish Pennywise as one of modern horror cinema's most memorable villains.

However, Skarsgård also suggested during the podcast that he is becoming increasingly selective about playing villains. He explained that another antagonistic role would need to offer something genuinely different from the characters he has already portrayed.

For now, though, two of his most famous creations appear to have found a place outside the film set. And while audiences associate Pennywise and Count Orlok with nightmares, Skarsgård's account suggests that, in his household, their voices can also be part of a family joke.