Multiple generations fear Pennywise - whether it’s Tim Curry in the miniseries or Bill Skarsgård in the theatrical franchise. However, before Skarsgård brought the scary and angry clown to the silver screen, Jenny Slate could’ve been in consideration to play the next Pennywise if her agents got their way. Now, years after her ex-agents’ suggestion, the comedian opened up about why she was angry that they thought she should’ve auditioned for the iconic It role.
The Big Mouth actress spoke with THR about her reaction to her former agents’ out-of-the-box suggestion. Slate released her comedy special Seasoned Professional (available through an Amazon Prime Video subscription) where she addressed the ego-shattering moment. The multihyphenate delved into the odd proposition, saying:
I don’t remember a conversation. I remember getting the email, and I was embarrassed! And, as the years went by, I felt angry. The people who represent you shouldn’t just be pushing you along. They should be encouraging you and considering you specifically. Maybe it was a careless mistake? But it wasn’t even an offer! (Laughs.) That’s what’s so sad. It would’ve been cool if they were like, ‘We have a fully formed vision and it’s you!’ What I assumed they were thinking was, ‘Let’s see if this idiot bites.’
It's confusing to think Slate’s former agents thought she would be a good fit for the murdering psychotic clown. Her answer was quite disheartening, yet she did find the humor in this misguided moment. The Marcel the Shell with Shoes On actor elaborated on the email she received in her comedy special. Watch the hilarious recount in the Instagram post below.
At least, she found an optimistic twist to the email. As the comedic actress suggested, her ex-agents could’ve thought the It movie producers wanted to take the homicidal maniac in a different feminist direction.
Of course, Slate has built up a diverse film career of great performances as a character actor. However, playing the terrifying circus clown wouldn’t exactly fit on her long list of credits. Maybe her representatives thought she would go on the audition without questioning the decision as the I Want You Back star mentioned. Or maybe they envisioned her bringing her acting chops to the iconic horror character. Either way, she parted ways with her agents after the surprise email.
Luckily, Jenny Slate moved past that moment and flourished. Outside of her Prime Video comedy special, she has multiple projects on the 2024 movie schedule, including the It Ends with Us film adaptation. The romantic drama hits theaters on June 21. While Slate passed on playing Pennywise, you can watch Bill Skarsgård's portrayal by streaming It and its sequel, It Chapter Two, through a Netflix subscription. Check back with CinemaBlend for more updates on Jenny Slate.
