When Stephen King wrote It back in the eighties, he created a character that honestly serves as the beating heart of the entire story. Beverly Marsh isn't just "the girl" in the Losers' Club. She's the resilience of the group. So, when it comes to the question of who played Beverly in It, the answer isn't just one person—it’s a legacy of three very different actresses across three different decades.
You’ve probably seen the memes or the TikTok edits. Most people immediately think of Sophia Lillis or Jessica Chastain from the massive Warner Bros. blockbusters. But if you’re a 90s kid, your Bev Marsh is Annette O'Toole or Emily Perkins. It’s wild how much the portrayal of this character changes depending on which version you’re watching.
Each actress had to tackle some pretty dark stuff. Bev’s story involves a lot of trauma, from her abusive father to the literal blood-splattered bathroom scene. It’s a heavy role.
The 2017 Breakout: Sophia Lillis as Young Bev
In the 2017 film It: Chapter One, directed by Andy Muschietti, Sophia Lillis stepped into the role and basically became an overnight star. She was 15 at the time. Honestly, she was perfect. She had this short, copper-colored hair and an expressive face that could go from tough-as-nails to terrified in a second.
Lillis didn't play Bev like a victim. That’s why people loved her. She played her like a kid who was already used to fighting monsters at home, which made fighting a shape-shifting clown in a sewer feel like just another Tuesday.
The chemistry between Lillis and the rest of the kids—Finn Wolfhard, Jack Dylan Grazer, Jaeden Martell—was the secret sauce. If you didn't believe they were best friends, the movie would have flopped. Hard. Muschietti actually kept the kids together during pre-production to build that bond, and you can see it on screen. Lillis's performance in the "blood bathroom" scene is still one of the most talked-about moments in modern horror. It wasn't just about the CGI blood; it was about the sheer, frantic realization of a girl losing her innocence.
Jessica Chastain and the Adult Beverly Marsh
Fast forward to 2019. It: Chapter Two had a massive task: find adults who actually looked like the kids from the first movie. Fans were practically screaming for Jessica Chastain to play the adult Beverly Marsh. The physical resemblance between her and Sophia Lillis was uncanny.
Chastain, who had already worked with Muschietti on Mama, jumped at the chance. She brought a much more somber, refined energy to the role. By the time we meet adult Bev, she’s a successful fashion designer in Chicago, but she’s trapped in another abusive relationship—this time with her husband, Tom Rogan.
It’s a tough watch.
Chastain plays the "forgetting" aspect of the story beautifully. In King’s lore, once you leave Derry, you start to forget the horrors. Watching Chastain’s face as the memories of Pennywise come flooding back during that Chinese restaurant scene is a masterclass in acting. She’s not just scared of a clown; she’s scared of herself and her past.
Some critics felt the second movie was too long, and maybe it was. But Chastain’s performance stayed grounded even when the CGI got a bit over the top. She brought a specific kind of "adult regret" to the role that made the ending feel earned.
The 1990 Miniseries: The O.G. Beverly Marsh
We can’t talk about who played Beverly in It without going back to the 1990 ABC miniseries. This was the version that traumatized a whole generation of Gen X and Millennials.
The younger Beverly was played by Emily Perkins.
Perkins was great. She had a very different vibe than Lillis—more soft-spoken, more visibly fragile, which fit the TV-movie aesthetic of the early 90s. She later went on to star in the cult classic werewolf movie Ginger Snaps, so she’s basically horror royalty now.
Then you have Annette O’Toole as the adult Beverly.
O’Toole is a legend. You might know her as Martha Kent from Smallville or from Virgin River. In 1990, she brought a certain elegance to Bev. The 90s miniseries had to deal with much stricter censorship than the modern R-rated movies, so O’Toole had to convey Bev’s trauma through subtext and expression rather than overt violence.
There’s a specific scene in the 1990 version where the adult Losers return to Derry and have a drink together. O'Toole's performance there is so warm. She captures that feeling of "coming home" to people who truly know you, even if you’ve forgotten them. It’s less about the scares and more about the friendship.
Why the Casting Matters So Much
The reason people keep asking who played Beverly in It is because Bev is the character the audience relates to most. Bill is the leader, Richie is the comic relief, Ben is the heart—but Beverly is the soul.
If the actress doesn't get it right, the stakes don't feel real.
Look at the table below to see how the roles were split across the two major adaptations:
| Version | Character Age | Actress |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 Miniseries | Young Beverly | Emily Perkins |
| 1990 Miniseries | Adult Beverly | Annette O'Toole |
| 2017/2019 Films | Young Beverly | Sophia Lillis |
| 2017/2019 Films | Adult Beverly | Jessica Chastain |
Interestingly, Sophia Lillis and Jessica Chastain actually spent time together to make sure their mannerisms matched up. They didn't want it to feel like two different characters. They wanted it to feel like one person who had been shaped—and scarred—by time.
Misconceptions and Fun Facts
Did you know that Sophia Lillis was actually the last of the "Losers" to be cast? The producers were struggling to find someone who had that specific "tomboyish but ethereal" look King described in the book.
Another weird detail: in the 1990 miniseries, the blood in the sink was bright red, which was actually quite shocking for television at the time. In the 2017 movie, they used so much fake blood in that scene that Sophia Lillis had to be scrubbed down for hours after filming. She said in interviews that it got in her ears, her nose—everywhere.
There’s also the "Welcome to the Losers' Club, asshole" line. That wasn't even in the original script. It was a bit of a riff that became one of the most iconic lines in the movie. It perfectly summed up the defiance that Lillis brought to the character.
What to Watch Next if You Love Bev Marsh
If you’ve already binged both movies and the miniseries, you might be wondering where else you can see these actresses. It’s actually a pretty cool rabbit hole to go down.
- Sophia Lillis went on to star in I Am Not Okay With This on Netflix. If you liked her as Bev, you’ll love her in this. It’s got that same "teenager with problems and maybe superpowers" vibe.
- Jessica Chastain won an Oscar recently for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. She’s one of the best working actors today. If you want something intense, check out Zero Dark Thirty.
- Annette O’Toole is currently a mainstay on Virgin River. It’s a huge tonal shift from fighting a clown, but she’s still incredible.
- Emily Perkins is a Canadian indie icon. Ginger Snaps is a must-watch for horror fans.
Understanding who played Beverly in It is really about understanding the evolution of female characters in horror. We went from the more reserved, internal performance of the 90s to the gritty, vocal, and physically demanding performances of the 2010s.
Final Takeaways for the Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Derry, here are the actual steps you should take to appreciate these performances:
- Watch the 2017 film and 1990 miniseries back-to-back. It’s the best way to see how Emily Perkins and Sophia Lillis interpreted the same scenes differently.
- Read the book. Seriously. Stephen King’s descriptions of Beverly give so much context to why the actresses made the choices they did.
- Pay attention to the color red. In both the 1990 and 2017 versions, the directors use the color of Beverly’s hair and her clothing to signal her bravery—or her danger.
- Look for the cameos. In It: Chapter Two, there are several nods to the original cast. While Annette O'Toole doesn't have a cameo as Bev, the spirit of the original miniseries is all over the sequel.
The role of Beverly Marsh is a mantle. It requires an actress who can handle being the target of a monster while remaining the strongest person in the room. Whether it's the 90s nostalgia of O'Toole and Perkins or the modern powerhouse duo of Lillis and Chastain, Bev remains one of the most iconic characters in horror history for a reason.
Next time you see a red balloon, you'll know exactly which version of Beverly Marsh you'd want by your side.