"Terrifier 3" star David Howard Thornton has gnarly kills as horror villain Art the Clown. In real life, he's a sweet guy with an uplifting origin. David Howard Thornton is an actor for the big screen, theater, and voiceover in YouTube and video formats. He has made his biggest impact playing the bloodthirsty killer Art the Clown in the Terrifier series of slasher-horror movies. Learn about David Howard Thornton, the American actor who plays Art the Clown in the ‘Terrifier’ movies and other roles. Find out his biography, filmography, awards, love life and interesting facts. David Howard Thornton had already figured out how to make the role his own, but he still had to audition, and the nuance he gave Art at that first audition is what ended up securing him the part.