Bill Skarsgård is making a big return to horror in 2024, and with these new projects, he will have played three iconic horror characters in just seven years. Bill Skarsgård’s acting career began in Sweden, with his big break in his home country being the comedy Simple Simon in 2010. Two years later, he made the jump to Hollywood with a minor role in Joe Wright’s Anna Karenina, and the following year, Skarsgård’s reign in the horror genre began when he was cast as Roman Godfrey in the Netflix TV show Hemlock Grove.
Skarsgård’s acting career has been quite diverse, with roles in action movies like Atomic Blonde and John Wick: Chapter 4, psychological thrillers like The Devil All The Time, romantic dramas like Battlecreek and more. However, Skarsgård is now best known for his work in the horror genre both on the big screen and TV, most notably in projects based on stories and characters by Stephen King. 2024 will see the release of two big horror projects starring Skarsgård, and with these, he will have played three iconic horror characters in less than a decade.
Bill Skarsgård Has Starred In Three Horror Adaptations & Remakes
Bill Skarsgård has starred in different horror projects in both in film and TV, among them three popular adaptations and remakes. First was the film adaptation of Stephen King’s It, in 2017, directed by Andy Muschietti. Skarsgård became the second actor to play Pennywise the Dancing Clown after Tim Curry in the 1990 TV adaptation of King’s novel. Muschietti’s It adaptation was a duology, so Skarsgård returned to play Pennywise again in the sequel It: Chapter Two in 2019.
The first of Skarsgård’s 2024 horror projects is The Crow, directed by Rupert Sanders and set for a June 7, 2024, release. The Crow is an adaptation of the 1989 comic book series of the same name by James O’Barr, as well as a remake of the 1994 movie starring Brandon Lee as Eric Draven. Skarsgård plays Draven, a young man who after he and his fiancée are killed by a gang of criminals, is brought back to life by a crow to seek revenge against their murderers. The 1994 version of The Crow is now a horror cult classic, and Eric Draven has become part of pop culture.
Skarsgård’s second horror project in 2024 is Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, to be released on December 25, 2024. Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 classic German Expressionist movie of the same name by F.W. Murnau, which, in turn, is an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Skarsgård plays Count Orlok, a vampire who becomes infatuated with a young woman named Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp). Count Orlok was key in establishing some of the most popular characteristics of vampires in film, such as dying from exposure to sunlight.
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How Bill Skarsgård Quickly Earned A Place In Horror
Skarsgård’s career in horror goes beyond playing one of Stephen King’s most terrifying characters, an icon of gothic horror, and one of the most famous vampires in film history. Skarsgård’s character in Hemlock Grove, Roman Godfrey, was his first time playing a vampire, though in this universe he was referred to as an “upir”, and Roman’s actions were irredeemable by the end of the series, leading to his death at the hands of his friend, Peter Rumancek (Landon Liboiron), in his werewolf shape.
In 2018, Skarsgård was cast in the TV series Castle Rock as The Kid/Henry Deaver. Castle Rock is based on themes, characters, and stories by Stephen King, and The Kid was a mysterious prisoner at Shawshank State Penitentiary who was secretly held there for over 20 years and never aged. The following year, Skarsgård starred in the black comedy horror movie Villains, where he played a clumsy robber who, along with his lover, becomes the victim of a psychopath couple. Last but not least, Skarsgård had a brief role in 2022’s Barbarian, where he surprised viewers by being a victim and not a villain.
Skarsgård has shown his versatility in the characters he has played in the horror genre, going from classic monsters to supernatural beings and human characters with mysterious backgrounds or with the unfortunate luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bill Skarsgård brings a lot of heart and passion even to his most evil characters, and his roles as Eric Draven and Nosferatu will further establish him as one of the best talents in the horror genre.
