Before Pennywise, Bill Skarsgård’s First Horror Role in Forgotten Netflix Show

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Bill Skarsgård, currently renowned for his chilling performances in the horror genre, has become particularly famous for portraying Pennywise. However, his first venture into horror was four years earlier on a virtually forgotten Netflix television program. Bill Skarsgård’s acting journey commenced in 2000 with Swedish films and TV shows, and his debut in an English-speaking movie came in 2012 as Captain Makhotin in Joe Wright’s “Anna Karenina”. Following this, he garnered significant global recognition when he played a leading role in Netflix’s television series “Hemlock Grove”.

Skarsgård’s major breakthrough came in 2017 when he landed the role of the chilling villain Pennywise the Dancing Clown in Andy Muschietti’s film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel It. This role opened numerous opportunities for Skarsgård, particularly in the horror genre. Since then, he has portrayed characters such as Henry Deaver in Castle Rock and Count Orlok in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, but it’s worth noting that Hemlock Grove played a significant part in his career, even though it wasn’t well-received by critics.

Netflix’s Hemlock Grove Was Bill Skarsgård’s First Horror Role

Hemlock Grove Stuck Around For Three Seasons

Set in Hemlock Grove, a town in Pennsylvania as depicted in Brian McGreevy’s 2012 novel of the same name, the story unfolded under the control of the wealthy Godfrey clan, spearheaded by matriarch Olivia (Famke Janssen). The primary employers in this small town were the Godfrey Institute for Biomedical Technologies and Hemlock Acres hospital, both overseen by the Godfrey family. Roman (Skarsgård), the heir to the Godfrey estate, was Olivia’s son, while her youngest daughter, Shelley, who was the kindest among them despite her deformities, was often overlooked.

The Godfreys concealed a chilling truth: they are known as “upirs” in Slavic folklore, an early form of vampires from horror stories. Roman remained oblivious to this until much later in the storyline, but once he discovered it, there was no turning back. The plot of Hemlock Grove unfolded when a string of killings sparked curiosity about the latest arrival in town, Romani teenager Peter Rumancek (played by Landon Liboiron), who eventually revealed himself to be a werewolf.

In a fascinating twist, Roman Godfrey marked Bill Skarsgård’s debut in the horror genre, and it happened to be his inaugural stint as a vampire too. To elaborate, Skarsgård portrayed Count Orlok in the 2024 remake of Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu,” an unofficial reinterpretation of Dracula. While Skarsgård starred as Roman across all three seasons of “Hemlock Grove,” the series unfortunately did not leave a lasting impression.

What Went Wrong With Hemlock Grove

Hemlock Grove Didn’t Succeed With Critics

As a devoted film enthusiast, I’ve got to admit that “Hemlock Grove” wasn’t exactly a darling among critics, but it certainly resonated with a wider audience. With a 38% rating from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a more favorable 64% score at Popcornmeter, it’s clear that this series is entertaining yet flawed.

The first season leaves many significant questions about the Godfreys and Peter unanswered, which was also an issue in the novel. While this could be excused as a setup for the next season, unfortunately, these questions remained unresolved even in subsequent seasons.

In seasons 2 and 3 of Hemlock Grove, the plot seemed disjointed, and the individual character narratives appeared to be spontaneously written. The supernatural elements of upirs and werewolves in Hemlock Grove were inconsistent, as was Shelley’s storyline, making it hard to follow along. However, despite its chaotic nature, Hemlock Grove remains an engaging show with a unique twist on the classic vampire and werewolf themes.

Why Netflix Removed Hemlock Grove From Its Catalog

Hemlock Grove Was One Of Netflix’s First Original Series

Contrary to popular belief, Hemlock Grove – one of Netflix’s pioneering original TV series, was taken off the platform in 2022. This unexpected move left both fans and regular users perplexed, as there was a widespread notion that once a series was labeled as a “Netflix original,” it would remain on the platform indefinitely. However, it’s important to note that Hemlock Grove was actually produced by Gaumont International, which owned the streaming rights for the show. When the contract between Netflix and Gaumont expired, the former had no choice but to remove Hemlock Grove from its catalog.

Unfortunately, it seems that Hemlock Grove isn’t available for streaming on any other platforms, and neither can you rent or buy the seasons. However, at this moment, you can find Hemlock Grove on Hoopla, a service that enables instant borrowing of movies, TV shows, eBooks, among others. As for whether it will return to Netflix or other prominent streaming services, it’s uncertain. Yet, its impact in launching Bill Skarsgård‘s horror career remains significant.

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2025-05-04 16:28