MAKEUP
It takes two and a half hours to apply Art’s makeup. “I always knew that I wanted it to be a prosthetic and not just straight greasepaint on an actor,” says Leone, adding that in sculpting Art’s facial features, he incorporated witch and devil elements. “I also made him gaunt, giving him a zombie aesthetic, where the eye sockets and the cheekbones are more pronounced.” Look closely and you’ll also notice elements of The Joker.
COSTUME
“The simplicity of Art, the black and white, that’s a result of not trying to step on the toes of Tim Curry’s Pennywise,” says Leone, referring to Curry’s turn in the 1990 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’m going to play in this sandbox of killer clowns, I have to stray as far away from that character as possible.’ ”
HAT
“I call this his Happy Cappy,” says Thornton of his character’s miniature fedora. It’s an 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 bastard child of Harpo Marx and Freddy Krueger,” Thornton says. “Fun fact I learned just recently: Harpo’s real name was Arthur!”
CHEMISTRY
Art’s effectiveness ultimately comes down to the right director finding the right actor. “We held auditions in New York City,” recalls Leone. He told actors to “decapitate a victim, but pretend 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 look amazing” as Art. Then he delivered a gleefully sadistic performance. “You felt it was meant to be,” the director recalls.
AX
A woodsman’s ax is just one of Art’s handy murder weapons — all of which he carries around with him in a black garbage bag. “He’s not like Michael Myers or Jason where they had one specific weapon they’re known for,” Thornton notes. “He has a whole assortment. He can pull whatever he needs out of that bag, which I think is really cool.”
TEETH
Art’s gnarly chompers are a set of acrylic dentures molded to fit over Thornton’s real teeth. (“I actually have much better dental hygiene,” he notes.) “They’re rotten because of course that’s going to make him look more disgusting, vile and creepy,” adds Leone.
SHOES
The one element of Art’s ensemble that has gone unchanged since he debuted in 2008 in a series of direct-to-video short films are his shoes, an oversized black pair that Leone found on a clown website. “We can’t find another pair like them,” says Thornton. “There’s still a hole in them from when Art gets stabbed in the foot with a railway spike from part one.” Adds Leone: “They’re hanging on by a thread. I think it’s time to retire those bad boys.”
This story appeared in the Oct. 23 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
English (US) ·