3 Actors Who Almost Played It's Pennywise Before Tim Curry

Before Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise transformation made everyone hate clowns, Tim Curry brought about the cold-sweat nightmares in the 1990 miniseries "It." Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, this adaptation of the 1986 Stephen King novel remains revered by fans and critics alike, with Curry's performance as the dancing clown remembered as terrifying and brilliant in equal measure. As the late film journalist Scott Wampler told The Hollywood Reporter , Curry's Pennywise and "It" were responsible for many kids' initial fear of clowns as well as their introduction to the horror genre.

Curry crushing the role shouldn't have been a surprise, having demonstrated prior ability to transform into any character required — whether it be Dr. Frank-N-Furter in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," Bill Sikes in