Art the Clown has done some extremely heinous acts in the Terrifier series, but there's one kill in Terrifier 3 that was almost too much for the performer behind the clown himself.
There may be some things Art the Clown won't do, but what he has done up until this point can upset the stomachs of even the most strong-willed audience members.
The first movie literally has the sadistic killer cut a hanging, upside down, splayed out, naked lady right in half with a saw––straight down the middle. Terrifier 2 aimed to top that by literally tearing apart (including scalping, peeling, ripping, slashing, etc.) Caset Hartnett's Allie.
The One Scene That Almost Broke Art the Clown
While speaking exclusively to The Direct's Russ Milheim, Terrifier 3 actor David Howard Thornton, the man behind Art the Clown himself, admitted that there was one scene that was almost too much for him on set.
When asked if there has ever been a scene that caused even him to take pause, Thornton confirmed that it happened for Terrifier 3. The scene in particular was the death of Aunt Jess, where Art shoves a pipe down her throat, causing her to spew both vomit and blood.
"I can't stand vomit," the actor elaborated, adding how they used some sort of "mushroom soup" that looked and smelled horrible:"
"That happened in ['Terrifier 3']... It was Aunt Jess. It was her death. I can't stand vomit. And they had this vomit that was coming out of the tube. They were using some kind of mushroom soup or something like that. So, it just looked horrible, and it smelled horrible, and the sounds. It was just making these gurgling sounds. I was like, no, no. Nay, nay."
The actor confirmed that "it's an infamous bit" that the crew "[has] all on video:"
"It's an infamous bit that happened on set, and they have it all on video, so hopefully, they'll be releasing that out on the extended cut or something like that, so that people can see that. No, this really happened. I got very nauseous on set one day with something I was doing, and it all related to something that makes me nauseous in real life…"
Thornton expressed how he "feel[s] quite strongly" that the director "put that in there intentionally just to really try to get to [him]:"
"…I feel quite strongly that [director] Damien [Leone] put that in there intentionally just to really try to get to me. And it worked. It very much worked. I did not throw up, though, because I was so worried about messing up my makeup that I had been spending hours getting into, and I knew my makeup artist Heather would kill me if something happened to it."
Lauren LaVera, who plays Sienna in Terrifer 2 and Terrifier 3, was also able to talk to The Direct, where she admitted that she has "the same reaction" to vomit:
"Yeah, I was so happy I wasn't on set that day because, similar to [David], I have the same reaction when I see this. I probably would have gotten sick as well, but I've been lucky in that my character doesn't see most of the kills. Like, I go through stuff, and my family goes through stuff, my friends go through stuff, but the actual act of it, I'm out of the room. So I've been pretty fortunate in that light."
LaVera made sure to add that she "hated… even walking past the dummy:"
Another incredibly graphic and gory scene that will stick in audiences' heads is the shower scene that sees Art the Clown viciously tear apart two lovers with a chainsaw.
"That took a while," Thornton noted, adding that while he "had fun," it "probably wasn't as fun for [his] fellow actors:"
"It took a while—four or five days to film all of that. There were so many moving parts and prosthetics that we had to deal with. I mean, I had fun. I know it probably wasn't as fun for my fellow actors, especially having to deal with water the whole time, and we're filming it in winter as well. They were so cold."
The actor had endless sympathies for actress Alexa Blair Robertson, who played Mia in the scene.
He also made sure to add that it is "one of [his] favorite shower scenes since Psycho:"
"And especially Alexa [Blair Robertson), who plays Mia. She's really having to go to a very, very vulnerable state in that scene. And so we tried our best just to cater to her needs and make sure she was as comfortable as possible, especially myself. I was constantly checking in with her, making sure she was okay. But it was still a lot of fun, though. I thought it was a really cool scene to see happen. I think it's probably one of the, personally, one of my favorite shower scenes since 'Psycho.'"
Terrifier 3 is now playing in theaters.
