Jackson Robert Scott, 8, is THAT kid in all of the It trailers. The one in the iconic yellow rain jacket. He plays Georgie Denbrough, the younger brother of Bill Denbrough, in the new adaptation of Stephen King’s best-selling novel. Georgie is the kid Pennywise the clown preys upon early on in the movie. Georgie chases a paper boat his brother made for him into the gutter and falls right into Pennywise’s clutches. It’s no secret that Georgie meets a terrible fate in It. Pennywise rips off Georgie’s arm and leaves him to bleed to death. Georgie’s tragic death drives Bill and his friends to defeat Pennywise for good.
HollywoodLife.com chatted EXCLUSIVELY with Jackson about taking on such an iconic role. Even though he’s starring in a horror movie, Jackson wasn’t scared being on set. He actually had a blast. “It wasn’t scary because I got to see the prosthetics and how everything was fake,” Jackson told us. “My favorite part was when we were in the trailer, and it was the first time I saw my ripped arm. I went in my trailer really quick and I scared my mom. I go, ‘Mom! I ripped off my arm!'”
His mom also added, “I was in the bathroom in his trailer, and they had brought the prosthetic in when I was in the bathroom. When I came out of the bathroom, Jackson puts his arm right up in my face. It scared me to death. It’s his real hand. It’s a cast of his real hand and arm.” Jackson notes that his favorite scene to film was when Georgie gets his arm ripped off. “I just loved letting loose and pretending that I was crying,” he says.
When the first look at the new Pennywise, who is played by Bill Skarsgard, 27, was revealed, fans were left terrified. Jackson says that he was “totally cool” with getting up close and personal with Bill dressed as the terrifying clown because Bill was “really nice in real life.” He continues, “I knew he was just in makeup, but at the same time, I’m like, ‘Jackson, I know he’s nice. But when he’s acting, he has to be crazy.'”
Jackson turned 8 years old while filming It and had two birthday parties. “I had my birthday at the wrap party because it’s September 18 and the wrap party was on the 17th, so I had a pre-birthday,” Jackson reveals. “My favorite part about my birthday in Toronto was once they brought out the cake, we ate it outside and then all of The Losers’ Club was like, ‘Yes! Put your head inside the cake.’ I said, ‘Are you sure?’ Then I asked my mom, and she said it was OK. I just dunked my head in there. Then I had to shower after. Then we had a little karaoke party!” Jackson also had a private party at a bowling alley in Toronto, and the kids of The Losers’ Club, Bill, and director Andrés Muschietti and his wife, Barbara, helped him celebrate.
It hits theaters everywhere on Sept. 8.
HollywoodLifers, are you going to go see It? Let us know!