Known best for his portrayal of Art the Clown, David Howard Thornton has become a horror icon since the release of Terrifier in 2016. Yet, he has showcased his talent in a variety of productions ranging from voicing animated characters to depicting sinister villains. These roles showcase David Howard Thornton’s impressive range and perfectly exemplify his artistic versatility.
In addition to his well-known film performances, Thornton has worked on several video games as a voice actor. Two Worlds II: Pirates of the Flying Fortress, Ride to Hell: Retribution, and Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom are just some games for which he’s provided a powerful performance. These types of roles differ greatly from the silent being that is Art the Clown but showcase his talent just the same.
Here are David Howard Thornton’s best performances, ranked.
7 The Exigency
One of Thornton’s smaller voice-acting roles is in the 2019 animated science fiction movie The Exigency. Created over the course of 13 years by filmmaker Cody Vibbart, the movie follows the struggles of the planet Gallehsa, which is facing a takeover from a rival planet. The only hope to survive is to recruit a retired war hero to fight Diederick from the planet Anumbis.
Thornton voices the character of Bumbo alongside actors like Tom Haney, Alexis Danner, and Warren Halderman. Despite the limited release on Prime Video and the dated graphics, The Exigency is an entertaining and unique take on the sci-fi genre. Thornton’s talent shines through the dialogue and provides a perfect balance of wit and warmth for the character.
6 Bupkis
One of Thornton’s recent roles is as the villain Art the Clown in Episode 8 of Bupkis, a Peacock comedy series loosely based on Pete Davidson’s life. It gives viewers a raw but endearing look into the different layers of Davidson beyond his public persona. The impressive cast has Joe Pesci as his grandfather and Edie Falco as his mother, along with guest appearances from Ray Romano, Keenan Thompson, Steve Buscemi, and numerous other celebrities. It’s true to Davidson’s humor and style, making it a great watch for comedy fans.
Thornton’s appearance is brief, but it’s just as impactful as some of his other roles. Art the Clown is creepy and menacing, showing up during a talk-therapy session at Davidson’s rehab facility. He quickly flashes in while Pete dissociates and then disappears just as fast. Each performance as Art is consistent, with the character growing more unsettling each time.
5 The Dark Offerings
The Dark Offerings is a 2021 horror-thriller directed by Marcus Slabine that tells the story of Sophia, a girl whose brother unleashes a demon and its curse on her. Once possessed, she has only six days to break the curse by passing the demon along to other unsuspecting people. If she fails, both she and her brother will die. This leaves her with no other option but to take the situation head-on and fight for their lives.
What sets The Dark Offerings and Thornton’s performance as Tim Cobb apart from the rest is that it was filmed during quarantine, creating a story through webcam footage. The cast had to adapt to this filmmaking method, which is a testament to the production’s success. As always, Thornton’s incredible facial expressions and body language add a perfect combination of fear to the character and create tension far beyond what one would expect from a low-budget webcam production.
4 The Mean One
In 2018, a new adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic holiday tale, The Mean One, hit the big screen. Thornton leads as The Grinch, alongside Krystle Martin as Cindy. In this version of the story, young Cindy sees her mother’s murder carried out by an unknown man wearing a Santa costume. Years later, her therapist suggests returning to her childhood town to help her come to terms with the tragedy. Unfortunately, Cindy isn’t the only one planning to make an unwelcome visit, leaving her to stop the Grinch from another spree of murders.
One of the few promising parts of this movie is Thornton’s performance as the Grinch, even if the character has no speaking lines. This leaves him only able to create a sense of fear and unease with his body language, facial expressions, and intense stares, which he’s proven to excel at time and time again. There are a lot of downsides to the movie, but if anything, the audience is left with a powerful reminder of how David Howard Thornton is able to create a uniquely frightening presence regardless of the context.
3 Nightwing: Escalation
One role where Thornton truly shines is as The Joker in Nightwing: Escalation. This web series is a unique take on the DC universe where Nightwing must keep Gotham safe without the help of Batman. Thornton joins the cast in Season 3, bringing with him a fresh take on the iconic character. The Joker’s personality is far from consistent, yet Thornton finds a balance between the diabolical and comically dark.
In an interview with MovieWeb, he explains how he’s “always liked mischievous villains, like villains that have fun being villains. That they’re not doing it out of just revenge or something like that. They embrace the fact that they’re villains, and they revel in it. It’s kind of like how the Joker is.” This approach to the character creates a memorable performance that’s needed to help this production stand out from its low-budget and limited scope.
2 Terrifier
While Art the Clown first appeared in The 9th Circle (2009), Terrifier (2011), and All Hallows Eve (2013) by actor Mike Gianelli, it wasn’t until the feature-length Terrifer in 2016 that Thornton made his debut as the character. It seems fitting and true to the role, as Art becomes increasingly sinister throughout each installment, and each performance gets more twisted and vile. In Terrifier, Art sets his sight on two friends leaving a Halloween party and unleashes both physical and psychological torture on them. He never speaks, only relying on his facial expressions and clown antics to get his point across.
Art pushes the limits with his victims and the audience, using over-the-top and in-your-face violence not seen in many other horror movies. Yet, this is what built such a cult following for the character and shows off how Thornton is able to bring such an iconic figure to life. The franchise is gory and not for every horror fan, but it’s worth the watch to appreciate what Thornton and creator Damien Leone were able to create on such a limited budget.
1 Terrifier 2: Art the Clown
It’s clear that one of Thornton’s best performances as Art the Clown is in Terrifier 2, as this installment amps the violence to a whole new level. There’s also a new degree of fear when it comes to Art, as viewers can confirm he’s not just a clown but an immortal supernatural force. The terror he brings is intense from start to finish, leaving viewers to guess what he is capable of as each movie progresses.
On the film’s release, reports of people fainting and vomiting in theaters started circulating due to the intense gore, highlighting the impact of its lead actor. Compared to its predecessors, the body count is higher, and the torture methods are more vile. However, this time Art has a sidekick in the form of a creepy little girl called The Pale Girl. This helps take Thornton’s performance to the next level as is able to interact with someone just as deranged.
With Terrifier 3 in the works, fans of David Howard Thornton and Art the Clown are sure to be in for an even scarier experience. In addition to this production, Thornton’s also set to appear in the upcoming horror films Night of the Living Dead 2 and Stream.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
