Ever since starring as Pennywise the Clown in the 2017 film It and its sequels, Bill Istvan Günther Skarsgård has been among the most recognised names in Hollywood. He is one of the famed Skarsgård brothers, born of Hollywood veteran Stellan Skarsgård.
While he started his career as a child actor and has had numerous releases over the years, it is the monstrous roles that gave him major successes, first with Pennywise and then with Count Orlok in the 2024 film Nosferatu.
However, his filmography proves without a doubt that the actor has range, and the upcoming projects are likely to be a testament to the statement. Bill Skarsgård celebrates his birthday on August 9 every year. To commemorate the day, today’s quote of the day is an excerpt from his interview with his brother and fellow Hollywood star Alexander Skarsgård, which was published in Interview magazine in 2017.
The complete quote reads: “I think hubris comes from insecurity. Confidence comes in a more rooted sense; part of being confident is being able to say, ‘I can be really shitty,' and to accept that. But also not to crumble under it.”
In the interview, when his brother Alexander asked him if he ever felt like a terrible actor, Bill Skarsgård replied that he simultaneously feels that he is the best actor on the planet as well as a complete fraud.
Explaining the feeling, he stated the above-quoted lines. In essence, the quote perfectly describes what confidence actually is: knowing that one is fallible but not shutting oneself off in fear of it.
The ability to realise that one can deliver a bad performance, but show up to work despite the feeling, is what makes him a good, dependable actor.
There has always been a clear line between confidence and hubris. However, it often becomes difficult to ascertain where the line is drawn. Bill Skarsgård’s quote serves as a reminder that acknowledging one's own fallibilities helps one stay on the right side of the line.
The quote also suggests that a person who may appear to be too confident may actually be experiencing deep-seated insecurities. Thus, it calls for a deeper scrutiny to understand the true nature behind the facade of a person that is presented to the world.
Debapriya Bhattacharya is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times. He started his career in 2022, working in newsrooms in beats like education, US news, trending stories, and entertainment. In his new role in the lifestyle desk, he seeks to deliver a balanced blend of research-driven reporting and creative storytelling from health and recipes to art and culture. Science, philosophy, food and pop culture are what pump his veins and help bring heart to his stories. Debapriya tries to see out subjects that will allow him and readers to explore new frontiers and improve the quality of life for all. The explorations can be both external and internal, as thoughts seek to be as chaotic as the greater universe. As a citizen of the world, Debapriya has been fascinated by the lives of people across the globe throughout time. His curiosity leads him to explore new linguistic and cultural landscapes to broaden his horizons and deepen his understanding of global narratives. Beyond the newsroom, Debapriya loves to participate in debate and theatre, spaces that he considers to be holy grounds for nuance and self-expression. A graduate from Ashutosh College, University of Calcutta, Debapriya completed his Master's degree from the same university in 2022. An ambiverted bibliophile, he loves his solitude as much as he adores stimulating conversations. And despite his reverence for tech, libraries continue to be his favourite place for research.Read More
