Actor Confirms Horrifying ‘IT’ Monster Was Made Without CGI

The first monstrous figure that comes to many audiences’ minds when thinking about Stephen King’s IT is Pennywise the dancing clown. Another horrifying figure in the movie is a leper, who was played in the most recent adaptation of the story by Javier Botet. The diseased, gaunt figure frightened many audiences with his appearance, but the actor recently revealed on Twitter that the whole effect was pulled off with just makeup.

Botet is 6’6″ but, due to having Marfan syndrome, has an incredibly slender frame. Despite that impressive height, the actor doesn’t weigh much more than 120 pounds. The actor previously worked with IT director Andy Muschietti on Mama, in which he played the supernatural presence.

In The Conjuring 2, Botet brought to life the “Crooked Man,” another character whose authenticity was argued, with the actor pulling off some impressive contortions with his frame. His performances in various films are so shocking, in fact, the actor explained he’s regularly asked if his performance is aided with CGI.

In IT, an otherworldly presence lurks the town of Derry, ME, causing a group of kids to band together to take on the monster. The creature can take various forms to stalk children and exploit their fears, and with one of the characters being forced to constantly take various medications, the monster becomes a diseased leper to most terrify the member of the Losers’ Club.

Botet isn’t the only one who used old-fashioned methods to bring his character to life, as Bill Skarsgard, who plays Pennywise, was able to pull off a facial trick without CGI.

“We were talking about the character, and I said, ‘In post-production I’m going to deviate your eyes,’ and he said, ‘I can do it,’” Muschietti told Cinemablend. “He was here in the morning and he was doing the trick. It’s crazy. What are the chances the guy that you picked for the role could do it?”

IT is currently in theaters.