According to The New York Times, Bill Skarsgård's audition process involved "a callback, a screen test and sending additional self-tape from Stockholm [Sweden] before it was official." The actor was determined to impress, so much so that although director Andy Muschietti had "asked for people to wear simple whiteface" for the callback, Skarsgård took things a step further. 

"I ended up asking my girlfriend to put some makeup on that morning, and then I get into the car and had to drive across L.A. in this clown makeup," Skarsgård shared with Entertainment Weekly. Since the audition wasn't on a studio lot, he had to park and walk for a couple blocks while in full clown makeup. "I pretty much just stayed in character through the whole thing," Skarsgård added. "It was one of the most bizarre things I've ever done."

The actor's dedication to his craft did not go unnoticed. On one of the It Blu-ray special features, producer Seth Grahame-Smith spoke about how he was struck by Skarsgård's audition (via Cinema Blend). "From the first time you saw him [Skarsgård], you weren't seeing him," he said of his first impression. "You were seeing his interpretation of a clown, and you were also seeing that he was committed to the point where he had someone do his makeup. Passion often wins the day and Bill brought incredible passion. He chased this role," Grahame-Smith concluded. "He knew he could do it, and he was going to make us understand that he could do it."

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