Tim Curry's portrayal of Pennywise, the dancing clown, the omnipresent, shapeshifting ancient creature and the central antagonist of Stephen King's "It," is one of the most revered performances of the horror genre. Curry's interpretation of Pennywise set a precedent; the actor employed an unnerving combination of humor and horror to add to the fearing image of the child-eating clown.

As a transdimensional entity that solely preys upon children, Pennywise exists to wreak havoc; he shapeshifts and warps the minds and perceptions of his victims, and uses his intelligence and abilities to induce fear that disorients his victims. Playing a character that had already been made so famous by the bestselling novel was no easy feat — and the actor had a specific vision in mind for his performance in the 1990 miniseries.

'He's Just Pure Evil, Really'

During its four-hour runtime, Pennywise commits evil acts and frightens the children of Derry out of their wits.