Mike Giannelli

The origin of a silent nightmare

Mike Giannelli never sought horror fame. In 2008, he agreed to put on a latex mask for a low-budget short film titled The 9th Circle. His friend Damien Leone needed someone who could endure hellish makeup sessions without complaining too much.

And Giannelli was that man.

The character of Art the Clown was born almost by accident on that shoot. There was no dialogue and no deep psychological motivation. Giannelli simply relied on unsettling body language that worked wonders on camera. But the actor had no intention of building a career in the film industry or of becoming a regular face on the red carpet.

During the shoot of Terrifier in 2011, Giannelli perfected the clown's quirks. That short film cost only a few thousand dollars and was shot on industrial locations in New Jersey. The actor spent more than five hours a day sitting still while Leone applied prosthetics to his face.

Because back then Leone did everything: writing, directing and makeup effects.

Giannelli's performance was purely physical. It lacked the theatricality that David Howard Thornton would later bring to the franchise's commercial sequels. His version of Art was dirtier, rougher and perhaps more human in its gratuitous cruelty.

Giving up the makeup

In 2013, the anthology All Hallows’ Eve premiered. The film compiled earlier work and added new scenes to give the clown character cohesion. It was the last time Giannelli put on the black-and-white costume.

The decision to retire was both personal and professional.

Giannelli preferred his quiet life away from the spotlight and fan conventions. He wasn't comfortable with the physical demands of a full-length feature. So when Leone decided to expand the universe in 2016, the actor declined to take part.

His name disappeared from the franchise's main credits, and he returned to his usual work outside of acting.

Despite stepping away from the cameras, Giannelli stayed in touch with the production team. In 2022, he made a brief special appearance in Terrifier 2 playing a minor character without makeup. It was a nod to fans who remembered the series' short-film beginnings.

The original mask Giannelli wore in 2008 was a cheap latex piece bought at a costume shop and modified by hand.