David Arquette Thinks We Should All Go to Clown College

Photo: Unique Nicole/Getty Images

Magicians, wrestlers, clowns: David Arquette plays a type. In Mrs. Davis, the new Peacock show about a nun’s vendetta against a world-conquering AI, Arquette plays a Reno stage magician. In his personal life, Arquette has delighted in magicians, performed at pro-wrestling events, and purchased the rights to Bozo the Clown. “Clowns, wrestling, and magic, they all kind of exist in the same space,” Arquette said on the Mrs. Davis red carpet. “Even in my wrestling documentary, one of my wrestling characters was the Magic Man.” Arquette said he loves being dazzled. “I like not knowing secrets,” he said. “I like being taken along for an adventure.”

Clowning is having a real moment in the Los Angeles comedy scene, and Arquette feels like it’s a real boon. He says he learned the value of a pause and how to be in the moment from his clowning classes. “One of the greatest things my clown teacher taught me is that the performance is a gift. You just give it to them without expecting anything in return. It takes the onus off even needing the laugh. You’re just existing for joy,” he said. “There’s something beautiful about that, and it’s taken the nerves out of something like this.”