Leroy Teaches Mike to Use the Stunbolt

Written by Chase Palmer & Cary Fukunaga and Gary Dauberman, this tense duologue from the film *It (2017)* captures a grim coming-of-age moment inside a family abattoir. The scene centers on an older patriarch attempting to instruct his sensitive young grandson in the brutal reality of their trade. As the boy hesitates to kill an animal, the elder steps in to deliver an uncompromising lecture about survival, vulnerability, and the harsh divisions of the world.

Leroy is a weathered, pragmatic patriarch whose difficult working-class life has stripped away sentimentality. He views empathy as a dangerous liability and believes that steeling his grandson against weakness is an urgent act of preparation. Mike is an empathetic teenager caught between family duty and his natural revulsion toward violence. His resistance is rooted in genuine compassion, leaving him terrified not only of the act itself but of disappointing the demanding authority figure who raises him.

The piece provides a powerful showcase for actors looking to demonstrate grounded, high-stakes dramatic tension without melodramatic shouting. The dynamic offers rich contrasts between hardened authority and youthful hesitation, allowing performers to build silence and physical subtext into the interaction. For mature actors, Leroy delivers a chilling, philosophical speech disguised as practical instruction, while Mike offers an excellent study in internal conflict, moral dread, and physical vulnerability under intense pressure.

This scene is exceptionally well suited for drama school auditions, general practice, and dramatic self-tape submissions requiring quiet intensity. It is an ideal showcase for mature actors playing working-class patriarchs, tough mentors, or weathered authority figures. It is equally valuable for younger actors who need to display authentic emotional hesitation, teenage vulnerability, and high-stakes moral resistance.

Resist the temptation to play the conflict with explosive rage or broad distress. Leroy's impact relies on calm, chilling conviction; he should speak not out of cruelty, but out of a grim certainty that he is protecting the boy from a merciless reality. The actor playing Mike must ground the hesitation in physical sensory reality, allowing the audience to feel the heavy weight of the tool and the dread of taking a life. Focus on the pauses between their words to heighten the oppressive atmosphere.