Art the Clown

Art the Clown is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the Terrifier film series and related media. Created by Damien Leone, the character first appeared in the short films The 9th Circle (2008) and Terrifier (2011). Both shorts were included in the anthology film All Hallows' Eve (2013), which marked the character's feature film debut. In these early appearances, he was portrayed by Mike Giannelli before his retirement from acting. He was replaced by David Howard Thornton, who portrayed Art in Terrifier (2016), Terrifier 2 (2022), and Terrifier 3 (2024). Thornton also appears as the character in a short film that serves as the music video for the song “A Work of Art” by the heavy metal band Ice Nine Kills, in which Art murders several concertgoers; the song is based on the film series and was commissioned as the theme song for the release of Terrifier 3.

Art debuted as a background character in Leone's directorial debut short film to test out different horror concepts. Audiences responded most to Art, leading Leone to develop the character into a recurring slasher villain over the next decade. Art became a pop culture figure and iconic evil clown after the critical and commercial success of Terrifier 2. The character's background remains ambiguous, although all of his appearances show him possessing supernatural abilities. His archenemy is the final girl Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera), with Leone writing Sienna and Art to reflect biblical undertones of good and evil.