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Who Plays the Evil Clown Sweet Tooth in Twisted Metal?
It takes the combined talents of a pro wrestler and a comedy all-star to bring the video game villain to life.
Of all the many characters in Twisted Metal, none is more iconic than Sweet Tooth, the killer clown who has graced the cover of every single game in the demolition derby video game franchise. So, it’s no shock that Sweet Tooth plays a major role in Peacock’s upcoming adaptation, which debuts this July.
Sweet Tooth, who controls the ruins of Las Vegas in the show’s post-apocalyptic setting, will be a dangerous adversary for Anthony Mackie’s amnesiac protagonist as he attempts to complete a perilous courier job. Sweet Tooth is a big, important role, and you need the right person to play him — or in this case, two actors.
Who Plays Sweet Tooth’s Body and Who Plays His Voice?
In the video games, Sweet Tooth is a serial killer clown, and in most of the titles his head is on fire, though in the show he just has fiery red hair. Pro wrestler Samoa Joe provides Sweet Tooth’s massive, hulking body. His wise-cracking voice, though, is that of Will Arnett, who dubbed the lines over. As Sweet Tooth wears a clown mask, the effect is seamless. Sweet Tooth drives a tricked-out ice cream truck, a sort of vehicle that does make everybody scream — but not because of tasty frozen treats.
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Arnett and Samoa Joe’s casting was announced in early June of last year, meaning fans have been waiting for just over a year for this acting tag team. In addition to voicing Sweet Tooth, Arnett is also an executive producer for Twisted Metal, and it was suspected that he would voice the character ahead of the casting confirmation.
Who Is Samoa Joe?
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa, better known in the ring (and now on the screen) as Samoa Joe, is a pro wrestler with All Elite Wrestling. Standing 6’ 2” tall and weighing 310 pounds, he is a formidable presence, and he makes Sweet Tooth a physical force to be reckoned with, as seen in an early clip from Twisted Metal where he easily manhandles Mackie’s John Doe, and in the second trailer where he decapitates somebody and catches the severed head in one swoop.
Samoa Joe, who is 44 years old, got his start wrestling in 1999, and over the course of his two decades in the ring he has achieved some notable victories, as he’s a two-time AEW TNT Champion and the current ROH World Television Champion. In addition to his wrestling career, he is a fan of video games with a few credits to his name, including the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, where he will provide the voice of King Shark. Twisted Metal is his first TV role.
Who Is Will Arnett?
Will Arnett, star of Arrested Development and a recurring character on 30 Rock, is no stranger to voice acting, though typically the comedian lends his baritone pipes to animated shows like BoJack Horseman or films like The Lego Batman Movie.
As a killer clown, Sweet Tooth is a mixture of scary and funny, and if Samoa Joe’s physique provides the former, Arnett’s voice provides the latter. As seen in the clip and the trailer, Sweet Tooth cracks wise during his fights, and he has a somewhat aggressive, deranged sense of humor — so it makes sense he’d be voiced by the guy who played Gob Bluth, who was basically Sweet Tooth without the bulk, clown mask, or killer instinct.
When Does Twisted Metal premiere, and how do you watch it?
All ten episodes of Twisted Metal will premiere exclusively on Peacock on July 27.
