How David Howard Thornton Became Art the Clown

There’s a new clown prince at the domestic box office, and his name is Art the Clown.

Terrifier 3 star David Howard Thornton is remarkably upbeat for the performer behind the sickest, most demented on-screen gags in recent memory, and that was before Damien Leone’s $2 million-budgeted threequel toppled Joker: Folie à deux at this past weekend’s ticket booth with $18.9 million. This turn of events is somewhat poetic since the Joker is Thornton’s favorite villain of all time, and he even played him in a fan-produced YouTube series before Terrifier became more widely available in early 2018.

Whether it’s chainsawing a college kid in half or tube-feeding live rats to an undeserving victim, only the latter exploit in Terrifier 3 has triggered Thornton during filming, but he persisted nonetheless, opting not to bring in his double.

“I, unfortunately, was not able to tag in my double because my face was shown the whole entire time in the shot, and it’s something that always makes me nauseous when I see it,” Thornton tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I feel that Damien specifically put that element into this one kill scene just to see if he could break me, and it worked. So I almost went over the edge, but I stopped myself because I did not want to ruin my makeup. My makeup artist was standing there on the side, saying, ‘Don’t you dare, David!’”

What likely makes the unrated Terrifier films so appealing to moviegoers is that they’re able to push the envelope in a way that most movie franchises cannot do. Mainstream film series, in an attempt to cater to global audiences across all four quadrants, have become overly safe, restrained and self-conscious, and Leone has instead tapped into that rare feeling of watching something that you’re not supposed to be watching on the big screen.

For Thornton, the key to playing Art the Clown is also unique from most popular slashers.

“There was this line in the first film that really helped me nail who the character is, and it’s what the cat lady said about him: ‘He thinks what he’s doing is funny because he’s laughing,’” Thornton quotes. “He’s not doing any of this out of revenge. He’s not angry or anything like that. He finds killing people to be a source of entertainment for himself, and that really helped me solidify him because he’s the anti-clown.”

As Terrifier 3 thrives in movie theaters, Thornton can’t wait to get back on set in Terrifier 4, especially after the third installment’s cliffhanger ending in which the surviving characters have each hit rock bottom in their own unique ways.

“I love where [Terrifier 3] leaves the characters at the end of the film. It is almost like an Empire Strikes Back-type ending,” Thornton says. “So I am very excited to see where this character is going to go moving forward because he’s in such a different state than he’s ever been in before.”

Thornton originally auditioned for Art the Clown after a string of disappointments in the New York City theater scene, and he was actually discouraged from pursuing what is now the defining role of his career. 

“I had never auditioned for any film roles before, and I wanted to get into film. I then came across this audition for Terrifier, and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s like an evil Mr. Bean. I would love a chance to play a character like this,’” Thornton recalls. “So I submitted myself for it, and my agent actually fought me on it. She was like, ‘This is such a low-budget independent film. You really don’t need to do stuff like this.’”

His agent ultimately conceded, but that didn’t mean success was immediate. Terrifier screened at festivals here and there in 2016 and 2017, but it finally became more accessible in March 2018. The subsequent response and cult following then paved the way for Terrifier 2’s overly successful crowdfunding campaign in 2019.

“Even while we were filming and after we were filming [the first Terrifier], I was waiting tables in New York City and just barely scraping by. The film then came out [in 2018], and it changed my life,” Thornton says.

Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Thornton also discusses the one line he won’t cross as Art the Clown.

Well, first and foremost, are you okay? Has Art the Clown taken a toll on you at all? 

No, I’m doing great! I’m having fun on my end. I’m always more worried about the people that watch my films. Are they okay? 

They’re definitely not okay. 

(Laughs.)

Have there been instances where you’ve been too queasy over a gag and opted to tag in a double? 

Yes, that happened in Terrifier 3. I, unfortunately, was not able to tag in my double because my face was shown the whole entire time in the shot, and I was like, “Oh, no, no, no.” It deals with something that I just do not like in general, and it’s something that always makes me nauseous when I see it. I feel that Damien specifically put that element into this one kill scene just to see if he could break me, and it worked. (Laughs.) So I almost went over the edge, but I stopped myself because I did not want to ruin my makeup. My makeup artist had spent hours doing it, and she was standing there on the side, saying, “Don’t you dare, David! Don’t you dare.” 

Was the shower scene the one that tested you the most on Terrifier 3?

No, that wasn’t it. It was the scene that takes place more near the end of the film. (Writer’s Note: Thornton is referring to the sequence in which a victim is tube-fed live rats.)

Overall, is there a line that you won’t cross as a performer? Have you sat Damien Leone down and had that conversation? 

Yeah, that’s definitely something we’ve chatted about in the past, and I think the one line that Art will never cross is rape. That is just a very taboo subject for him. I don’t even view him as being a sexual creature in that way. That’s just something that is beneath him, and I just don’t like that idea or anything like that. It disturbs me and disgust me, and I just think that something like that has no place on film.

Is there truly no method to Art’s madness? Is there no point in trying to find a rhyme or reason for his behavior?

There was this line in the first film that really helped me nail who the character is, and it’s what the cat lady said about him: “He thinks what he’s doing is funny because he’s laughing.” And I was like, “Oh, that is such a disturbing idea.” He’s not doing any of this out of revenge. He’s not angry or anything like that. He finds killing people to be a source of entertainment for himself, and that really helped me solidify him because he’s the anti-clown. Clowns are supposed to bring joy and amusement to other people, but he is here to bring pain and misery to other people for his own joy and amusement. That is such a messed up mindset that this character has, and I’ve just kept that there ever since. So anytime he’s killing somebody, he’s having fun with it. He’s performing for an audience of one, and that just adds an extra demented layer to this character.

At least he does his own dishes when he’s a guest in other people’s houses. He’s not a complete monster.

(Laughs.) Exactly. You’ve got to clean up. You’ve also got to get rid of the fingerprints.

Part of what makes an effective villain is the mystery surrounding who they are and where they came from, so do you not want too much detail on Art’s origin?

Yes, I do like the idea that we’ve been slowly revealing his origins. We have a line or two early on in this film that hint at his origins, and I thought that was really clever. I also don’t want to ruin the surprise too early and spoil things, because, a lot of times, when you find out why or who the villain is, the mystery is gone and you’ve lost a lot of the fun that was behind that character. They didn’t really reveal who Freddy Krueger truly was until five films into the franchise, and I feel like we’re kind of taking that route. We’re also taking a Joker-type route with the character’s origins. Joker was the Red Hood before he fell into the vat of chemicals and became the Joker, but you don’t necessarily know who he was before he was the Red Hood. So we’re taking that approach to his origin story in the films going forward. Yeah, we might show how he became Art, but we might not necessarily say who he actually was before that. So that little bit of mystery just makes him a little bit more interesting that way.

Just out of curiosity, did you see Beetlejuice Beetlejuice? 

I did, yes! 

That was an interesting take on telling Betelgeuse ’s backstory, but I don’t think I want something that clear cut for Art.  

Yeah, but that worked for Betelgeuse. It made so much sense, especially with the throwaway joke in the first film after he pulls the finger out of his pocket: “She meant nothing to me.” (Laughs.)

Art is a clown with mime-like qualities in that he’s very expressive without ever really making any sound. Do they still put a mic on you in case they want to use something? 

No, they never bother to mic me, and I try my best to do what I’m doing without sound. There might be a few times where it actually helps [to make sound], especially when I’m laughing. I sometimes just do a slight giggle to myself; it helps if my body is actually moving in the correct way that it would move during the real laugh. But that’s pretty much it. When I’m getting stabbed or injured, I try not to make any sounds or grunts or anything like that. Plus, I want to make it easier for the sound team when they come in for editing, so I’m very conscious of that.

When Art first came along, how would you describe your life at the time?

At the time, I had just gotten back from my last tour with How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical. I understudied the fantastic Stefán Karl [Stefánsson], who played the Grinch, and I also played Grandpa Who. I then decided to take four months of my life off and just focus on auditioning. I’d also been waiting tables, but at that time, I just decided to take time off. I had been up for five or six different Broadway tours, and every single one of them had fallen through at the last minute during final callbacks. So I was getting discouraged, and I was like, “I’m so close to getting something.” 

I had never auditioned for any film roles before, and I wanted to get into film. I then came across this audition for Terrifier, and I was like, “Oh, well that looks like fun.” I already knew the character from [Damien Leone’s 2013 horror anthology] All Hallows Eve, and I was like, “Oh, he’s like an evil Mr. Bean. I would love a chance to play a character like this. I feel like there’s something I can do with him.” So I submitted myself for it, and my agent actually fought me on it. She was like, “This is such a low-budget independent film. You really don’t need to do stuff like this.” And I was like, “Well, I want to get experience in front of the camera, and this could be something I can add to a reel one day. I just want this experience.” So she submitted me and I got the role. 

But even while we were filming and after we were filming, I was waiting tables in New York City and just barely scraping by. The film then came out, and it changed my life, so I’m very, very grateful for this opportunity. If I had gotten any of those roles that I was up for on any of those [Broadway] tours, I wouldn’t have been able to audition for Terrifier or film Terrifier, and who knows where I’d be right now. It’s funny how life works out sometimes.

It sounds like you didn’t set any expectations.

Yeah, it was just a gig. It was going to be a learning opportunity and an area of growth for me. I had no idea this was going to be the defining role of my career so far. You just never know. I just said, “Well, this looks like fun, and if anything comes of it, that would be great.”

There’s a lot of unfinished business by the end of Terrifier 3, so are you eager to get back on the field for Terrifier 4?

Oh, very much so. I was very happy with the ending to Terrifier 3 when I read the first draft of the script, and I told Damien, “Please do not change this aspect at all. Please, please, please.” I love where it leaves the characters at the end of the film. It is almost like an Empire Strikes Back-type ending, and I love that. So I am very excited to see where this character is going to go moving forward because he’s in such a different state than he’s ever been in before, and I’m excited to see what avenues we can explore with him that way. So I’m very happy with the ending and we’ll see where it goes, but I do want Damien to take a break. He’s been working so hard for the past year, and I think he needs at least a few months off to just relax and chill out. But I’m very anxious to get back into it on Terrifier 4.

That said, Damien did have more help on this one, and he was able to hire a professional makeup effects team for the first time. Did the added resources change your day to day, as well?

Oh, it definitely made things easier, and it expedited so many things on set. In the past, everyone would have to wait for Damien to finish doing my makeup before we could film anything. Or he would have to jump back and forth and back and forth, and that would just slow things down. This time, while I was in the makeup chair, Damien would go off and film other things. Sometimes, they would even utilize a double to fill in for my arm or leg or something like that. It would be when they didn’t need my face in the shot, and that was great. It helped us move forward with filming and not take as long as we would have in the past. Having a bigger budget and a makeup team also helped us do things that we wouldn’t have been able to do before with practical effects. Damien is a very talented man, but he didn’t have the resources that Christien Tinsley’s team had. So they were able to take our film and its kills to the next level, and that was so much more exciting. We got to do some really fun things, and I loved it. I was like a kid in a candy store on the set of this film.

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Terrifier 3 is now playing in movie theaters.