“Terrifier” and the anatomy of a killer clown

FORM

Arts makeup takes two and a half hours to apply. “It was always clear to me that it should be prosthetic and not just makeup on an actor,” says Leone, adding that he incorporated witch and devil elements when creating Art’s facial features. “I also made him gaunt and gave him a zombie aesthetic, making the eye sockets and cheekbones more prominent.” If you look closely, you’ll also notice elements of the Joker.

COSTUME

“The simplicity of the art, the black and white, is a result of not trying to step on Tim Curry’s Pennywise’s toes,” says Leone, referring to Curry’s performance in the 1990s It Miniseries. “Pennywise was the only popular killer clown when I created Art in 2006. But he’s so colorful with the red wig and the red nose. So I said, “If I want to play in this sandbox full of killer clowns, I have to get as far away from this character as possible.” ”

HAT

“I call this his Happy Cappy,” Thornton says of his character’s miniature fedora. It pays homage to the tiny stovepipe hat worn by Captain Spaulding, the murderous clown from Rob Zombie films, as well as Harpo Marx’s signature beaver fur hat. “Art is the illegitimate child of Harpo Marx and Freddy Krueger,” says Thornton. “Fun fact I recently learned: Harpo’s real name was Arthur!”

CHEMISTRY

The effectiveness of art ultimately depends on the right director finding the right actor. “We held auditions in New York City,” Leone remembers. He told the actors to “decapitate a victim, but act like you’re having a great time.” Thornton was the sixth to audition, and when the 6-foot-2 actor walked in, “Leone knew he was going to be “It would look fantastic.” Then he delivered a gleefully sadistic performance. “You had the feeling that this was how it was supposed to be,” remembers the director.

AX

A woodsman’s ax is just one of Art’s handy murder weapons – all of which he carries around in a black trash bag. “He’s not like Michael Myers or Jason, who had a specific weapon that they were known for,” Thornton notes. “He has a whole range. He can get whatever he needs out of this bag, which I think is really cool.”

TEETH

Art’s Knotty Chompers are a set of acrylic dentures shaped to fit over Thornton’s real teeth. (“I actually have much better dental hygiene,” he notes.) “They’re lazy because of course it makes him look even more disgusting, disgusting and creepy,” Leone adds.

SHOES

The only element of Arts Ensemble that has remained unchanged since its 2008 debut in a series of direct-to-video shorts is its shoes, an oversized black pair that Leone found on a clown website. “We can’t find another couple like them,” Thornton says. “They still have a hole in them from when Art was stabbed in the foot with a train nail in the first movie.” Leone adds: “They’re hanging by a thread. I think it’s time to retire these bad boys.”

This story appeared in the October 23 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to register.