IT: Welcome to Derry Full Cast & Character Roles

HBO's latest terrifying series, "IT: Welcome to Derry," is offering new scares, but a different perspective of the dark history in Derry, Maine. This series serves as a prequel to Stephen King's classic IT films, featuring all new characters and the return of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Here's everything fans should know regarding the complete cast, character storylines, and how this series differentiates from prior films.

IT: Welcome to Derry Cast and Characters

• Bill Skarsgård is back as Pennywise, bringing his menacing chills and iconic horror back to the screen.
• Taylour Paige will portray Charlotte Hanlon, an elementary school teacher in Derry who learns about the town's dark past.
• Jovan Adepo stars as Leroy Hanlon, a major in the Air Force and Charlotte's husband.
• Chris Chalk plays Dick Hallorann—a community leader, returning from King's world classic.
• Blake Cameron James now appears as Will Hanlon, the son of the Hanlon couple who is now facing some mystery.
• James Remar is General Shaw, a commanding officer in the military stationed in Derry.

In a critical supporting role, Stephen Rider plays Hank, with Madeleine Stowe, Rudy Mancuso (Captain Pauly Russo), Clara Stack (Lilly Hanlon), Amanda Christine (Ronnie Grogan), and Mikkal Karim Fidler (Teddy) rounding out the cast.

IT: Welcome to Derry – Main Cast and Character Breakdown

Pennywise: The Return of the Iconic Clown

Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise is back, building on his terrifying legacy - and new evil secrets will be revealed about the clown, making the character all the more chilling for audiences.

Pennywise's Role in IT: Welcome to Derry

The demon Pennywise will also become the focal point of fear in the town of Derry in Welcome to Derry. This time, the series will explore how the malign entity evolved into existence and began to terrorize the citizens of Derry long before the events in IT took place. Viewers will see more closely his origin, motives, and the evil force that drives his thirst for horror. Pennywise will prey on fear again by manipulating the fear of new characters, predominantly children, as seen in the previous IT films — demonstrating that the nightmare in Derry is just beginning.

New Faces & Family Drama

Charlotte and Leroy Hanlon have moved to Derry. A schoolteacher, Charlotte begins to notice her students' mysterious experiences with unexplained terrors and tragedies while Leroy who is stationed at the local Air Force base, discovers the potential of the town's hidden dangers. Their son Will is also drawn in to Derry's evolving mystery.

Familiar Stephen King Links

Dick Hallorann returns, portrayed by Chris Chalk, who will be recognizable by fans as the character from The Shining, which continues to connect Derry to the larger King universe.

Other Noteworthy Characters

• Captain Pauly Russo (Rudy Mancuso)- an ally to Leroy Hanlon at the Air Force Base.

• Ronnie Grogan (Amanda Christine)- a brave resident who found herself amidst the terror in Derry.

• Teddy (Mikkal Karim Fidler)- one of the children somewhat similar to past members of the Losers Club.

What Makes IT: Welcome To Derry Unique?

Spanning the year 1962, the series establishes 27 years prior to the IT films and interprets the way in which Pennywise's reign of terror first took root in Derry.  With period-specific visuals, new mysteries, and deeper lore, the series respects the IT legacy and expands it.

• Directed and produced by Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti, resulting from their involvement in IT and IT: Chapter Two.
• Written by Jason Fuchs, who will connect the series to earlier adaptations.
• Stephen King could not have been more pleased with the project and the way the creative team would expand on the haunted story of Derry.

IT: Welcome To Derry Cast & Characters Table

New Characters Introduced in IT: Welcome to Derry (2025)

• Major Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo): A newly assigned military officer in Derry who struggles with local racism and family challenges. 
• Charlotte Hanlon (Taylour Paige): A school teacher who learns about the secrets of the town. 
• Will Hanlon (Blake Cameron James): Their son who gets involved in the supernatural happenings. 
• Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk): A younger version of the character from The Shining, he is an airman enlisted with secret projects initiated by General Shaw. 
• General Shaw (James Remar): The commander of the "Special Projects" at the Air Force base, new for the show. 
• Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider): The town movie projectionist who is a single father to Ronnie. 
• Ronnie Grogan (Amanda Christine): A brave child from the area who gets caught up in the chaos of Derry. 
• Terry (Mikkal Karim Fidler): A brave kid in the vein of the Losers’ Club. 
• Lilly (Clara Stack): Another child character swept up in the ongoing secret.  

Additional supporting characters include Phil (Jack Molloy Legault), Matty (Miles Ekhardt), and various Derry townsfolk, movie theater employees, and Air Force characters. 

Also Read: IT: Welcome to Derry – Global Timings & Full Release Schedule Revealed

How Many Characters are in the Series in 2025?

The first season features 25+ characters with names credit on-screen. This makes for an extensive cast of adult and child characters that will influence the show's narrative.

Character Changes in IT: Welcome to Derry

• Pennywise - Bill Skarsgård is back in the iconic role of the terrifying clown with respect to his performance in the IT films. He maintains a shared bridge between the new series and the preceding adaptations.
• Dick Hallorann - Chris Chalk plays this younger version of Hallorann, as a Derry military base airman in 1962. This younger character serves as an expansion and contrast to the older mentor character in The Shining, placements that resonate deeper with the Stephen King mythology.
• Leroy and Charlotte Hanlon - New original characters in the IT world, the Hanlon's serve as Mike Hanlon's parents and provide implication and background to Derry's historic backdrop given they are both new characters who were not part of the IT films.
• Will Hanlon - The young child of the Hanlon's. Will is another addition of the Horlan family, providing a new emotional dynamic to the family aspect and is another original character to the series.
• Hank and Ronnie Grogan - A totally new family made for the 2025 series, the Grogan's are added to the small-town relationship dynamics and were not apart of the IT films.

IT: Welcome to Derry Returning Characters

• Bill Skarsgård is back as Pennywise in IT: Welcome to Derry with the same terrifying clown that haunted the original IT films. Skarsgård's chilling performance both unleashes new mysteries and evil tricks in this HBO horror series, and makes Pennywise's character even scarier, coming in 2025.
• Chris Chalk as Dick Hallorann is a familiar character for Stephen King fans - this show reinvents Hallorann as a young airman in Derry, years before he became the mentor character in The Shining, creating deeper connections to King's universe.

Is IT: Welcome to Derry a True Story? 

This series is a wholly fictional show and not based on real events. Derry, Maine, is a town invented by Stephen King, based on universal childhood fears and the social issues surrounding children, such as racism and family struggles. The themes are told through different families living in town - community tension, mysterious disappearances, and horror through supernatural experiences - and they are told through established mythology of King.