IT: Welcome to Derry Cast Guide: Every Stephen King Character & Who Plays Them Explained

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HBO is revisiting the terrifying world of Stephen King’s IT with a new horror series called IT: Welcome to Derry. This show acts as a prequel, taking place 27 years before the first IT movie, and delves deeper into the dark history of the town of Derry and its encounters with the evil entity known as It, or Pennywise the Dancing Clown. The series features familiar faces from the IT films, including director Andy Muschietti and producers Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs, but will largely tell a brand new story.

Unlike IT: Chapter One and Chapter Two, which centered on the original Losers Club, Welcome to Derry introduces a largely new group of characters, with many created specifically for the show. While it features new faces, the series also includes important characters from Stephen King’s IT novel and other works. The cast follows this pattern too, blending up-and-coming actors with more recognizable names.

Jovan Adepo as Leroy Hanlon

I was so excited to see Jovan Adepo cast as Leroy Hanlon! As a fan of IT, it immediately hit me – he’s Mike Hanlon’s grandfather! You briefly see him in the first chapter, trying to show young Mike how to humanely put down a sick animal on the farm. And Adepo is fantastic – I remember enjoying his work as Hooded Justice in Watchmen on HBO, and he was great as Larry Underwood in The Stand too. It’s perfect casting – he plays a Major in the Air Force, new to Derry and waiting for his family, and he brings so much to the role. It’s a subtle connection, but a really nice touch for fans like me.

Blake Cameron James as Will Hanlon

Will Hanlon, Mike’s father, is also a character taken directly from Stephen King’s novel. However, the show, which starts in 1962, portrays Will as a child who moves to Derry with his parents. Details from the book about Will’s past – like his time in the Air Force and visits to The Black Spot nightclub, a significant location in the story – are now being given to the character of Leroy. Cameron James, who plays Leroy, is also known for his role in the TV series Found.

Chris Chalk as Dick Hallorann

Dick Hallorann is a memorable character from Stephen King’s stories, particularly featured in IT: Welcome to Derry. While he first appears at an Air Force base in the show, his backstory runs much deeper. In the novel IT, Hallorann is revealed to be one of the original founders of the Black Spot, a business that primarily serves Black customers. However, he’s most famous for his role in The Shining as the head chef at the Overlook Hotel, where he shares Danny Torrence’s psychic ability, known as “the shining.” He also reappears in Doctor Sleep. Actor Chris Chalk is known for playing Lucius Fox in Gotham and Gary Cooper in The Newsroom.

Bill Skarsgård as It/Pennywise

Pennywise the Dancing Clown, the terrifying creature from the movie IT, is returning to haunt the town of Derry. Six years after his previous defeat, Pennywise – in various frightening forms – is back in IT: Welcome to Derry. Bill Skarsgård reprises his role as the clown, also serving as a producer. The story follows the creature’s 27-year cycle of attacks, mirroring the time gap between this new series and the first IT movie. Skarsgård is also known for his roles in Nosferatu (as Count Orlok), Boy Meets World, and John Wick: Chapter 4.

Who Else Makes Up It: Welcome To Derry’s Main Cast & Characters

I’m really excited about Taylour Paige’s role as Charlotte Hanlon in this project. She plays Leroy’s wife and Mike’s mom, and from what I understand, Charlotte is a really passionate person – a real activist with a strong sense of right and wrong. She’s the one who starts to suspect something is seriously wrong in Derry. I’ve been a fan of Paige since Zola, and it’s cool to see her building such a diverse filmography with projects like Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F and Ma’ Rainey’s Black Bottom, plus her work on Hit the Floor too.

James Remar plays General Shaw, the new supervisor and leader at the base in Derry. Remar is well-known for his roles as Ajax in The Warriors, Albert Ganz in 48 Hrs., and Harry Morgan in both Dexter and Dexter: Resurrection.

I was really intrigued by Stephen Rider’s role as Hank Grogan. He plays a guy who works at the Capitol Theater in Derry, and the police question him because he was one of the last people to see Matty Clements before he vanished. You might recognize Rider – he was fantastic as Blake Tower in those Netflix Marvel shows, Daredevil and Luke Cage.

Miles Ekhardt plays Matty Clements, the young boy whose vanishing kicks off the story. Matty runs away and is eventually taken into the sewers of Derry by the creature known as It. This role marked Ekhardt’s first time acting, appearing in the film Turtles All the Way Down.

Clara Stack plays Lilly Bainbridge, a character in Welcome to Derry who was cruelly called “Loony” and spent time in Juniper Hill asylum. Lilly is one of the central kids in the story and, after losing her father, begins having visions of Matty reaching out to her from the sewers. These visions drive her to take the lead in the search for him. Stack is also known for her role as a younger Kate Bishop in Hawkeye.

Matilda Lawler plays Marge, Lilly’s steadfast friend who supports her when other kids are being mean. You might also recognize Lawler from her roles in other HBO shows like The Gilded Age (where she played Frances Montgomery) and Station Eleven (as the younger version of Kirsten).

Amanda Christine plays Ronnie, Hank’s daughter. Ronnie works at the theater with her dad and is one of the last people to see Matty before he goes missing. She later joins forces with Lilly. Christine is also known for voicing the main character in the show Ada Twist, Scientist.

Mikkal Karim-Fidler plays Teddy, a friend of Matty’s who feels immense guilt over Matty’s disappearance. Teddy’s father is a Rabbi who places a lot of expectations on him. You might recognize Karim-Fidler from roles in The Boy in the Walls and an episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Jack Molloy Legault plays Phil, Teddy’s close friend. Phil is more outgoing and self-assured than Teddy. Legault has previously appeared in Three Pines and provided voice work for Interstellar Ella.

Matilda Legault plays Susie, Phil’s younger sister who often accompanies him. Legault has also appeared in the series Ginny & Georgia and Beacon 23.

Rudy Mancuso plays Captain Pauly Russo, a friend of Hanlon’s who he served with in the Air Force during the Korean War. While Mancuso is well-known as a YouTuber and online personality, he recently made his directorial debut with the film Música.

Episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry release on Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO and HBO Max.

What are your thoughts on the movie IT: Welcome to Derry? Share your opinions in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-10-27 01:42