The American actor David Howard Thornton, is famously known for portraying Art the Clown in the slasher episode “Terrifier” in the comedy-drama TV series “Bupkis.”
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Ag, Early Life, and Education Background
David Howard Thornton is a native of Huntsville, Alabama, born under the Sagittarius zodiac sign on 30 November 1979, which makes him 43 years old as of 2023. He hasn’t revealed the names of his father, but who was an Alabama-based businessman, and his mother, a homemaker. Moreover, Thornton has remained tight-lipped any siblings. He grew up very interested in imitations, and could speak in numerous different voices even as a child.
Thornton attended a local elementary school in Alabama and later went to Grissom High School. Subsequently, he enrolled at the University of Montevallo where he developed an interest in acting, and began performing in the school’s theater. Thornton also honed his acting skills at The Simon Studio and Scott Powers Studio.
Hobbies and Interests
David is an animal lover who has kept a pet cat, often posting his pet’s picture on his social media accounts.
In his spare time, he enjoys reading novels to enhance his vocabulary and knowledge.
The “Terrifier” star is keen on traveling, and has visited many US states and numerous international destinations both for work and leisure. He often posts his travel pictures on his verified Instagram account.
He’s also a huge art lover, and enjoys painting in his free time.
Career – Film Appearances
David made his film debut in the 2015 Japanese historical manga, “Miss Hokusai,” in which he provided additional voices. In 2016, he made his career breakthrough when he landed the role of Art the Clown in the Damien Leone-directed slasher movie “Terrifier.” Speaking to the entertainment website, ‘Screen Rant,’ Howard revealed how he landed the antagonist role in the slasher film. He said ‘Oddly enough, I just responded to an open audition notice on Actor’s Access. They needed a tall, skinny guy to play Art [who] had physical comedy experience or clowning experience. Oh my God, that sounds perfect for me! I already knew the character because I had seen “All Hallows Eve.”’ “Terrifier” revolves around the merrymaker, Tara Heyes (Jenna Kanell), and her sibling, Victoria Heyes (Samantha Scaffidi) who are targeted by the mysterious serial killer, Art the Clown, on Halloween night. Unlike most silent slasher anti-heroes, Art is very emotional and expressive, and uses facial expressions and gestures to communicate – his behavior is similar to that of a hushed clown.
In 2019, Thornton voiced Bumbo in Cody Vibbart’s animated sci-fi action “The Exigency,” which also featured the voices of Alexis Danner, Tom Haney, Kayla Vibbart, and Warren Halderman. In 2022, the Alabamian actor reprised the role of Art the Clown in the second installment of “Terrifier” entitled “Terrifier 2,” which was more successful than the former, making it a cult classic – it won four Chainsaw Awards and was selected the Best Limited Release Film by horror fans. The film also had higher box office takings – compared to the first installment – of over $15 million against a budget of $250,000. 2022 also saw Thornton star as Grinch in the Christmas black comedy horror, “The Mean One,” which also starred David Farrington Thornton, Flip Kobler, and Krystle Martin. He will portray Player 2 in the upcoming horror film, “Stream.”
TV Appearances
In 2016 and 2017, Thornton starred as The Joker in six episodes of “Nightwing: Escalation”, sharing the screen with Alex Valderana, Maya Murphy, Zack Abramowitz and Diana Cherkas. 2017 saw the Alabama native appear in the episode “A Dark Knight: The Blade’s Path” of the Warner Bros-produced superhero crime drama “Gotham.” Two years later, he voiced Newt/Billy Goats in two episodes of the Canadian 2D-animated TV series “The Bravest Knight”, and in the year that followed, he reprised the role of Art the Clown in the series “Mistress Peace Theatre,” which was an internet spin-off from the acclaimed horror show “Bordello of Horror.” 2021 heard Thornton voice SFX Box in an episode of the animated children’s TV series “Alma’s Way”, and in 2023, he reprised the role of Art the Clown in the episode “Show Me the Way” of the Peacock comedy-drama “Bupkis.”
I am always so happy to see this clown! David Howard Thornton reprises his iconic role as Art the Clown in Pete Davidson’s new show, Bupkis, which will premiere in May on Peacock TV!! super excited to see what mischief Art will bring! TEAM ART FOREVER ❤️ #Terrifier #Terrifier2 pic.twitter.com/6WAuXAH5VR
— Beb (@BowerxDepp) April 14, 2023
Other Works
David has tried his hand at modeling, and has been represented by BMG Models and Talent Agency. He has appeared in several plays, including “Godspell,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “The 39 Steps,” and “Cherry Hill,” among others. He’s also voiced various characters including Malvic and Tengo in the 2011 action role-playing video game, “The Worlds II.” In 2013, Thornton lent his voice to multiple characters in the video games “Ride to Hell: Retribution” and “Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom.”
Awards and Nominations
Thornton has won two out of the four awards for which he’s been nominated as of late 2023. In 2017, he scooped a joint Voice Arts Award for Outstanding Storytelling, and Best Performance for his works in the podcast miniseries, “Powder Burns: An Original Western Audio Drama” and in the year that followed, he won a Fright Meter Award for Best Actor for his performance in the horror film “Terrifier” – the horror movie also saw Thornton receive a Fangoria Chainsaw Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 2019. In 2022, he was nominated for an Indiana Film Journalist Association, US Award for his performance in “Terrifier 2.”
Social Media Presence
Thornton is active on Instagram (@davidhowardthornton) with over 90,000 followers. He’s fond of creating Instagram reels in his spare time, and is also active on Facebook, with around 5,000 followers.
Personal Life
Thornton is very secretive about his romantic life. He is rumored to have married the former American movie producer, Alicia Mayfield, who is known for serving as the Production Designer in the 1998 movie “The Face in the Frame.” It is alleged that the duo walked the aisle in 2002, but Thornton hasn’t addressed the allegation. It’s unclear whether Thornton and Mayfield have any children together…. if they are together
Height, Weight, and Physical Appearance
David is of White ethnicity, and has green eyes and brown hair. He stands 6ft 2ins (1.88m) tall and weighs around 160lbs (73kgs). Moreover, the “Terrifier” star wears shoe size 8(US).
Net Worth
David has carved a niche for himself in the American film industry, which has made him popular and fairly rich. He’s worth approximately $5 million as of 2023, and is seemingly leading a lavish lifestyle.
