Bill Skarsgård is among the most talented and versatile actors working today. A member of the prolific Skarsgård acting family, he rose to prominence with the supernatural horror series Hemlock Grove before receiving international attention and critical acclaim for his portrayal of Pennywise the Dancing Clown in Andy Muschietti’s horror hit It.
Although best known for his roles in horror pictures, Skarsgård has proven his versatility in numerous projects, including comedies, sci-fi films, and even romantic dramas. His upcoming role in the action thriller Boy Kills World continues his streak of interesting and challenging roles, which, coupled with other memorable and acclaimed roles in his resumé, confirm him as one of his generation’s most gifted actors.
10 ‘The Devil All the Time’ (2020)
Director: Antonio Campos
Bill Skarsgård is part of the all-star cast in Antonio Campos’ psychological crime thriller The Devil All the Time. Set from the 1940s to the 1960s, the plot follows several stories in Southern Ohio, with Skarsgård playing Willard Russell, a soldier returning from World War II.
Dark, violent, intense, and uneven, The Devil All the Time is not an easy watch and might not rank among Netflix’s best original movies. However, Skarsgård is reliably stellar as the tortured Willard, crafting a complex and compelling yet creepy portrayal of regret and desperation. The Devil All the Time can sometimes feel dark for the sake of it, but Skarsgård grounds his character, preventing it from descending into exploitative territory.
Watch on Netflix
9 ‘Hemlock Grove’ (2013-2015)
Creator: Brian McGreevy
Skarsgård’s ticket to fame was the Netflix horror show Hemlock Grove. Based on the 2012 eponymous novel, the plot centers on the unlikely partnership between Roman Godfrey, heir to the town’s wealthy family, and Peter Rumancek, the newest arrival. As mysterious murders shake the town, the two work together to learn the truth while hiding their own secrets.
Hemlock Grove was never among the best Netflix original series, with reviewers often criticizing its tone and overly violent approach. Indeed, the show sometimes made Ryan Murphy’s efforts look tasteful. However, Skarsgård was always the bright point, playing the rich bad boy Roman with enough rebellious gusto to make millions of teenagers swoon. Hemlock Grove excels as a guilty pleasure and a worthy showcase for Skarsgård’s abilities, even if its legacy is decidedly uneven.
8 ‘Barbarian’ (2022)
Director: Zach Cregger
Zach Cregger’s 2022 horror thriller Barbarian stars Georgina Campbell, Justin Long, and Skarsgård. The plot follows Tess, a young woman who arrives at her Airbnb to discover it’s occupied by a young man, Keith. Although she slowly warms up to him, Tess soon discovers the house hides more secrets than anticipated.
Pleasant but slightly off-putting, Keith is a classic Bill Skarsgård role. The character is alluring, even if Tess, and by extent, the audience can’t shake the feeling there’s something off there. Barbarian used Sakarsgård brilliantly, exploiting his notoriety as a horror icon to keep its true plot under wraps. The actor was game, walking a fine line between creepy and endearing and making Keith one of his most unexpectedly sympathetic roles.
Watch on Hulu
7 ‘Nine Days’ (2020)
Director: Edson Oda
The 2020 fantasy drama Nine Days stars an ensemble led by Winston Duke, including Zazie Beetz, Tony Hale, Benedict Wong, and Skarsgård. The plot follows Will, a reclusive arbiter tasked with interviewing five souls to determine which one will be given a new life on Earth; the rest will disappear forever. Skarsgård plays Kane, one of the five candidates.
Nine Days works mainly as a showcase for Winston Duke’s underrated dramatic abilities. However, Oda’s screenplay allows the supporting players to also shine; Skarsgård is great as the cynical and hardened Kane, acting as a sharp contrast to Beetz’s more idealistic Emma and giving the film a deeper and thought-provoking look at the versatility of human nature.Nine Days is among the most underrated dramas in recent memory, thanks to an insightful and earnest screenplay that dares its audience to question what it means to be alive.
6 ‘Villains’ (2019)
Directors: Dan Berk & Roberts Olsen
The directing duo of Dan Berk and Robert Olsen direct Skarsgård, Maika Monroe, Jeffrey Donovan, and Kyra Sedgwick in the 2019 black comedy horror Villains. The plot centers on two amateur robbers attempting to break into a house, only to discover the owners are a sadistic couple holding a young girl hostage. With the tables turned on them, the lovebirds must struggle to stay alive.
Morbidly funny and effectively chilling, Villains is a clever and biting horror comedy. Skarsgård shines playing Mickey, a bumbling and clumsy petty criminal in over his head. The actor brilliantly fits the screenplay’s hectic nature, delivering f-bomb after f-bomb while crafting a funny and even loveable character that ranks among his most refreshing. Villains is an underrated horror-comedy gem from the 2010s, largely thanks to Skarsgård’s lead performance.
Watch on Prime Video
5 ‘Soulmates’ (2020)
Creators: William Bridges & Brett Goldstein
Prime Video’s anthology Soulmates is among the most underrated miniseries of the past 5 years. Set in a futuristic world where a company has developed a test for people to find their soulmates, the show features several stories exploring different genres and questions about the true nature of love. Skarsgård stars in the fourth episode, “Layover,” playing Mateo, an American tourist on his way to meet his soulmate in Colombia. While on a layover in Mexico, he meets Jonah, an attractive robber who makes him question his future.
“Layover” is the strongest case for a Bill Skarsgård-starring romantic comedy. The actor is at his most charming in the episode, playing the romantic and idealistic Mateo. Skarsgård dominates the episode’s comedic tone, sharing wonderful chemistry with co-star Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and proving there’s a romantic leading man within him waiting for the right project.
4 ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ (2023)
Director: Chad Stahelski
Keanu Reeves reprises his role as the infallible assassin John Wick in Chad Stahelski’s explosive action film John Wick: Chapter 4. The plot revolves around John’s attempts to escape the High Table while being pursued by numerous assassins sent by the Marquis de Gramont, a high-ranking member of the Table tasked with killing Wick by any means possible.
Skarsgård is spectacular as the Marquis, a mustache-twirling bad guy with a terrific fashion sense and one of the main reasons behind John Wick: Chapter 4’s success. Adopting a thick French accent and chewing scenery like nobody’s business, Skarsgård is the perfect antagonist for Reeve’s Wick, a Bond villain in the John Wick universe. Intense and loathsome but thoroughly entertaining, the Marquis is a modern action villain destined to become an icon and one of Skarsgård’s most enjoyable roles.
3 ‘Castle Rock (2018)
Creators: Sam Shaw & Dustin Thomason
The 2018 psychological horror series Castle Rock stars an ensemble cast of terrific performers, including Jane Levy, André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Oscar-winner Sissy Spacek, and Skarsgård. Set in the world of Stephen King, the show juggles several of his most recognizable themes in a rich and engrossing tale occurring in the town of Castle Rock, Maine. Skarsgård plays the Kid, a prisoner at Shawshank Penitentiary, released after 27 years in a septic tank.
Castle Rock is among the best Stephen King adaptations. Thrilling, eerie, and tense, the show brilliantly blends King’s lore with a clever mystery, elevated by an outstanding cast playing intriguing and complex characters. A frail Skarsgård is unforgettable as the Kid, delivering an enigmatic and bizarrely alluring performance. Although mostly silent, Skarsgård says much with his trademark large green eyes and body language, crafting a fully-fleshed character that remains one of the show’s highest triumphs.
Watch on Hulu
2 ‘It’ (2017)
Director: Andy Muschietti
Mainstream audiences will likely know Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise the Dancing Clown in Andy Muschietti’s horror duology It and It Chapter Two. The films adapt Stephen King’s famous book, with part one focusing on the Loser’s Club as children and part two following them as adults. Pennywise antagonizes both movies, an eerie and overwhelming presence swallowing the town of Derry under his colorful mayhem.
It is among the all-time best horror movies, and Skarsgård delivers a stunning performance in it and its sequel. It was a daunting task, considering how iconic Tim Curry’s take on Pennywise had been. However, Skarsgård wisely chose not to imitate or pay homage to Curry’s performance; instead, the then-twenty-seven-year-old went for a less childish and more unsettling approach, turning Pennywise into a demonic figure sure to haunt a new generation of children. If the Academy paid horror the time of day, Skarsgård would’ve been a strong contender for the 2018 Best Supporting Actor Oscar, especially considering who actually won that year.
1 ‘Clark’ (2022)
Director: Jonas Åkerlund
The underrated Netflix miniseries Clark stars Skarsgård as infamous Swedish criminal Clark Olofsson. The show’s six episodes chronicle Olofsson’s rise to notoriety, showing his numerous incarcerations and crimes and, in episode four, the events of the Normalmstorg robbery that led to the creation of the term “Stockholm Syndrome.”
Skarsgård delivers a tour-de-force as Oloffson, going from charming to appalling, often with mere seconds of difference. Olofsson is a larger-than-life figure, and Skarsgård rises to the challenge; he embodies the criminal’s appeal, never relying solely on his physical appeal to sell Oloffson’s mesmeric allure. Clark is Bill Skarsgård’s best work so far, a comprehensive and multi-layered performance that pushes the actor to his limit and cements him as one of Hollywood’s most chameleonic performers.
