David Howard Thornton

David Howard Thornton is an American actor. He is known for his role as Art the Clown from the Terrifier franchise, a role in which he appeared in Terrifier (2016), Mistress Peace Theatre (2020), Terrifier 2 (2022) and Bupkis (2023) and is set to reprise in Terrifier 3 (2024). He has had other various roles in film, television and video games, including Two Worlds II: Pirates of the Flying Fortress (2011), Ride to Hell: Retribution (2013), Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom (2013), Gotham (2017), The Bravest Knight (2019), The Exigency (2019), Alma's Way (2021) and starring as the Mean One in The Mean One (2022).

David Howard Thornton
Thornton in 2023
Born
David Howard Thornton

OccupationActor
Years active2010-present
Known forArt the Clown

Career

Thornton has lent his voice to various characters in film, anime, television and in video games. In 2011, he voiced Malvic, Volran and Tengo in Two Worlds II: Pirates of the Flying Fortress. He later provided voices in 2013 as Anvil, Dr. Blotter and Baggy Miner in Ride to Hell: Retribution and as Shizoku, Metal Mutt and Toxitoad in Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom. In 2015, he provided additional voices for Miss Hokusai.[1] From 2016 to 2017, he appeared as the Joker in the fan-made webseries Nightwing: Escalation and later went on to appear in Gotham, both projects that included characters by DC Comics.[2]

In 2016, Thornton portrayed Art the Clown in Terrifier, a film that became a cult classic and for which he was nominated for a Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Supporting Actor and was the first feature-length appearance of the character in the Terrifier franchise.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] In 2022, Thornton reprised the role of Art the Clown in Terrifier 2. Terrifier 2 was well received by critics and a hit at the box office, grossing more than $15 million on a $250,000 budget.[10][11][12][13][14][15] Also in 2022, Thornton starred as the Mean One, a horror retelling of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, in The Mean One.[16][17][18][19][20]

Thornton reprised the role of Art the Clown in the 2023 Peacock series, Bupkis,[21][22] with the character also set to return in Terrifier 3.[23][24][25][26][27] He is set to appear as Shark Bait Zombie in the upcoming film, Night of the Living Dead 2[2] and as Player 2 in the upcoming film, Stream.[28][29][30]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2015Miss HokusaiAdditional VoicesVoice
2016TerrifierArt the Clown
2019The ExigencyBumboVoice
2021The Dark OfferingsTim Cobb
2022Terrifier 2Art the Clown
The Mean OneThe Mean One
2024StreamPlayer 2[28][29][30]
Terrifier 3Art the Clown[27][31]
2025ScreamboatSteamboat Willie[32][33]
TBANight of the Living Dead 2Shark Bait Zombie[2]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017GothamOrderlyEpisode: "A Dark Knight: The Blade's Path"
2019The Bravest KnightBilly Goats / Newt2 episodes
Voice
2020Mistress Peace TheatreArt the Clown / HimselfEpisode: "Hallowday Special II"
2021Alma's WaySFX BoxEpisode: "No-Go Mofongo/Alma vs. Eddie"[1]
Voice
2023BupkisArt the ClownEpisode: "Show Me the Way"[21][22]

Web series

YearTitleRoleNotes
2016–2017Nightwing: EscalationThe Joker6 episodes

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2011Two Worlds II: Pirates of the Flying FortressMalvic / Volran / TengoVoice
2013Ride to Hell: RetributionAnvil / Dr. Blotter / Baggy MinerVoice[1]
Invizimals: The Lost KingdomShizoku / Metal Mutt / ToxitoadVoice

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultReference
2019Fangoria Chainsaw AwardsBest Supporting ActorTerrifierNominated[3]

References