The horrifying charm of Pennywise the Dancing Clown has returned to Derry — and so has the actor behind the chilling smile, Bill Skarsgård. The Swedish star reprises his iconic role in It: Welcome to Derry, the HBO prequel to It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019). Premiering on October 26, 2025, the series delves into the origins of Stephen King’s terrifying universe.
Bill, who began his acting journey as a child, shot to global fame with his sinister yet captivating portrayal of Pennywise. Now 35, he has carved a remarkable path in Hollywood, despite belonging to a family already rich in talent. Let’s explore his impressive net worth and how much he earned for bringing Derry’s nightmare back to life.
Oh well I am Pennywise the dancing clown. Come join the clowns, we all float down here. Yes we do pic.twitter.com/swV39mBm5G
— Pennywise the Dancing Clown (@Tweet_Pennywise) October 23, 2025
Born to Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård and physician My Skarsgård, Bill grew up surrounded by creativity and art. Yet, his success is entirely his own. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Bill Skarsgård’s fortune stands at around USD 5 million (approx. ₹41.6 crore) — a reflection of his steady rise through both film and television.
It: Welcome to Derry, based on Stephen King’s classic novel, also highlights deeper themes like racism and social unrest in 1960s America, with Bill once again anchoring the story as Pennywise.
Bill Skarsgård is in talks to play The Joker in 'THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD.'
— DiscussingFish (@DiscussingFish) October 27, 2025
(Source: https://t.co/TctqOHRqLf) pic.twitter.com/yto4jfAABR
PLEASE make this happen, because Bill Skarsgård was fantastic as Pennywise so he would make a great Joker too. pic.twitter.com/s5DMmGiYGJ
— Goetia King of Demon Gods (@GoetiaBeast1) October 28, 2025
Bill’s portrayal of Pennywise in It and It Chapter Two earned him critical acclaim and global recognition. His chilling performance brought him nominations for major awards, including the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor and the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain.
However, his paycheck for the earlier films wasn’t as huge as one might expect. Reports suggest that Bill earned around USD 65,000–75,000 (₹54–62 lakh) — comparable to the child actors’ salaries in It.
Fast forward to 2025, and things look very different. According to Spoiler Bolavip, Bill now commands USD 600,000–800,000 per episode (₹5–6.6 crore) for It: Welcome to Derry. With eight episodes in total, his overall earnings for the series are estimated between USD 4.8–6.4 million (₹39.9–53.2 crore) — a massive leap from his earlier paychecks.
Bill’s growing popularity has brought him lucrative film roles beyond the It franchise. As per The Richest, he earned USD 200,000 (₹1.66 crore) for playing the antagonist in John Wick: Chapter 4.
Meanwhile, Showbiz Galore reports that he took home a solid USD 1 million (₹8.32 crore) for his lead role in The Crow (2024), one of the year’s most anticipated releases.
Born on August 9, 1990, in Sweden, Bill is the fourth son of legendary actor Stellan Skarsgård. Surrounded by artists, Bill was fascinated by acting from an early age, but he wanted to build his career independently rather than relying on his family name.
Though he initially studied science in school, his passion for performance drew him back to the screen. With sheer talent and determination, Bill Skarsgård successfully carved out his place in Hollywood — proving that his eerie portrayal of Pennywise was just one of many powerful performances to come.