The Welcome to Derry cast kids are at the heart of HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry, bringing a new generation of characters into Stephen King’s terrifying world. Set in Derry, Maine, the series expands the mythology established by King’s It and the earlier films while introducing a younger group of characters facing the town’s supernatural horrors.
Among the most important young performers are Matilda Lawler, Clara Stack, Amanda Christine, Blake Cameron James and Arian S. Cartaya. They play Marge Truman, Lilly Bainbridge, Ronnie Grogan, Will Hanlon and Rich Santos, respectively. Other young characters, including Matty Clements, Teddy Uris and Phil Malkin, also become part of the story.
For viewers searching for the Welcome to Derry kids’ cast, it can be difficult to keep track of the actors, character names and relationships. This guide breaks down the main young cast members, explains their roles and looks at why these characters are important to the series.
Key Takeaways
- Matilda Lawler plays Marge Truman, one of the central young characters.
- Clara Stack plays Lilly Bainbridge, a girl dealing with deep personal trauma.
- Amanda Christine portrays Veronica “Ronnie” Grogan.
- Blake Cameron James plays Will Hanlon, the son of Leroy and Charlotte Hanlon.
- Arian S. Cartaya portrays Rich Santos, one of Will’s friends.
- The wider group also includes young performers such as Miles Ekhardt, Mikkal Karim Fidler and Jack Molloy Legault.
Main Article
Who Are the Kids in Welcome to Derry?
It: Welcome to Derry features a sizeable young ensemble rather than focusing on just one child protagonist. The main group includes Marge, Lilly, Ronnie, Will and Rich, while other children play important supporting roles throughout the season.
The central young cast includes:
| Actor | Character | Role in the Story |
|---|---|---|
| Matilda Lawler | Marge Truman | Lilly’s friend and one of the central children |
| Clara Stack | Lilly Bainbridge | A troubled girl dealing with loss and guilt |
| Amanda Christine | Ronnie Grogan | Hank Grogan’s daughter and Lilly’s friend |
| Blake Cameron James | Will Hanlon | Son of Leroy and Charlotte Hanlon |
| Arian S. Cartaya | Rich Santos | Will’s friend and a member of the young group |
| Miles Ekhardt | Matty Clements | One of the younger characters |
| Mikkal Karim Fidler | Teddy Uris | A young member of the wider group |
| Jack Molloy Legault | Phil Malkin | One of the local boys |
The principal cast listings confirm these actor-character pairings, with the five central young performers appearing throughout the series.
Matilda Lawler as Marge Truman
Matilda Lawler plays Marge Truman, one of the most prominent young characters in the series.
Marge is closely connected to Lilly Bainbridge, and their friendship helps establish part of the show’s central childhood dynamic. Her character also gives the story an opportunity to explore teenage friendships, popularity and the pressures of growing up in Derry.
Lawler is already known for earlier screen work, including her role as young Kirsten in Station Eleven. Her performance in Welcome to Derry gives Marge a personality that develops as the supernatural danger surrounding the children becomes increasingly difficult to ignore.
Marge is particularly interesting because her story is not simply about surviving a monster. Her relationships and changing understanding of the people around her are also important to her character.
Clara Stack as Lilly Bainbridge
Clara Stack plays Lilly Bainbridge, another major member of the young cast.
Lilly is introduced as a character carrying significant emotional weight. Her story involves the death of her father, an absent mother and the guilt she feels surrounding her family circumstances. Those elements make her one of the more emotionally vulnerable children in the series.
Her friendship with Marge and connection to the other children help bring the young characters together. As the supernatural events in Derry escalate, Lilly’s personal fears become increasingly intertwined with the larger horror story.
Stack’s performance is important because Lilly often has to communicate fear and grief without relying solely on dialogue. That emotional side helps distinguish her from some of the more confident children in the group.
Amanda Christine as Ronnie Grogan
Amanda Christine portrays Veronica “Ronnie” Grogan, the daughter of Hank Grogan.
Ronnie becomes friends with Lilly and is part of the young group at the center of the story. Her family connection also ties her directly to the adult characters, particularly her father, Hank, who works as a projectionist at a local movie theater.
Ronnie’s presence adds another perspective to the children’s experiences in Derry. She is not simply there to react to the supernatural events; her family relationships and friendships give her a meaningful place within the wider story.
Christine’s performance also helps reinforce the show’s emphasis on the children’s relationships. Friendship becomes increasingly important as the characters encounter situations they cannot easily explain.
Blake Cameron James as Will Hanlon
Blake Cameron James plays Will Hanlon, the son of Leroy and Charlotte Hanlon.
Will has an especially important connection to the wider It mythology because the Hanlon family is already familiar to fans of Stephen King’s story. In Welcome to Derry, viewers get to see an earlier generation of the family and understand more about Will’s childhood.
Will’s parents, Leroy and Charlotte Hanlon, are played by Jovan Adepo and Taylour Paige. The family storyline gives the series a bridge between its new characters and the established world of It.
Will also becomes friends with Rich Santos, making their relationship an important part of the children’s storyline.
Arian S. Cartaya as Rich Santos
Arian S. Cartaya plays Rich Santos, one of Will’s friends.
Rich is described as a band kid who develops a crush on Marge. His friendship with Will places him within the core young group, while his personality gives the children a lighter and more relatable dynamic at certain points in the story.
Cartaya had previously appeared in Gordita Chronicles, Juego de mentiras and Bad Monkey, giving him experience across different television genres before taking on the role of Rich.
Rich’s character is useful to the overall story because he represents a child trying to navigate ordinary concerns such as friendship and attraction while living in a town where extraordinary and frightening things are happening.
Other Young Actors in the Cast
The main group is not the entire list of children appearing in Welcome to Derry. The cast also includes several younger performers in significant supporting roles.
Miles Ekhardt as Matty Clements
Miles Ekhardt plays Matty Clements. His character is part of the younger generation surrounding the main group.
Although the central storyline focuses heavily on Marge, Lilly, Ronnie, Will and Rich, characters such as Matty help make Derry feel like a real community populated by children with their own friendships and conflicts.
Mikkal Karim Fidler as Teddy Uris
Mikkal Karim Fidler plays Teddy Uris.
The surname is particularly notable to longtime It fans because the Uris family name is associated with Mike Hanlon’s friend Stan Uris in the original story. The series uses familiar names and connections while telling its own story in an earlier period. Fidler is listed in the series’ cast as Teddy Uris.
Jack Molloy Legault as Phil Malkin
Jack Molloy Legault plays Phil Malkin.
Phil is another young character within the Derry group. His inclusion adds another layer to the social dynamics among the children and helps expand the cast beyond the five most prominent young protagonists.
How the Kids Connect to the Larger It Story
One of the most interesting aspects of Welcome to Derry is the way it combines new characters with elements familiar to fans of It.
The series is not simply another version of the Losers’ Club story. Instead, it explores an earlier period of Derry’s history and introduces a different generation of children. That allows the show to expand the mythology while maintaining connections to characters and families that audiences already recognize.
Will Hanlon is an especially clear example. His family connects the new story to the Hanlon family seen in the broader It universe.
The Uris name provides another recognizable connection, while the return of Pennywise, played by Bill Skarsgård, places the young characters directly inside the supernatural mythology.
Why the Young Cast Matters
The child characters are more than supporting players. They provide the emotional center of the series.
Horror works particularly well when ordinary childhood experiences are placed against extraordinary danger. Friendships, school life, family problems and teenage insecurity become more intense when the characters are also dealing with something they cannot fully understand.
Each major child brings a different perspective:
- Marge represents friendship, social pressure and personal growth.
- Lilly brings grief, guilt and vulnerability into the group.
- Ronnie connects the children’s story with the Grogan family.
- Will provides an important link to the Hanlon family.
- Rich adds friendship, humor and another perspective on the group.
- Matty, Teddy and Phil broaden the social world surrounding the central characters.
That variety makes the young ensemble feel more substantial than a conventional group of horror-film children.
Is Welcome to Derry Connected to the IT Movies?
Yes. It: Welcome to Derry expands the world established by Stephen King’s It and the recent It films.
The series features Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise and includes characters and family connections that relate to the wider mythology. It is designed to explore Derry’s history rather than simply retell the events of the movies.
That distinction is important for new viewers. You do not need to know every detail of the previous films to understand the young characters, but familiarity with It can make some of the names and connections more meaningful.
Which Welcome to Derry Kid Is the Main Character?
There is not one single child who completely dominates the ensemble in the same way that a traditional protagonist might.
Instead, the series distributes attention across several young characters, particularly Marge, Lilly, Ronnie, Will and Rich. This ensemble approach allows the show to explore different family situations and personalities while building a broader picture of childhood in Derry.
The official cast listings and episode credits consistently identify these five performers among the central young characters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who plays the kids in Welcome to Derry?
The main young cast includes Matilda Lawler as Marge Truman, Clara Stack as Lilly Bainbridge, Amanda Christine as Ronnie Grogan, Blake Cameron James as Will Hanlon and Arian S. Cartaya as Rich Santos. Other young performers include Miles Ekhardt, Mikkal Karim Fidler and Jack Molloy Legault.
Who plays Marge in Welcome to Derry?
Matilda Lawler plays Marge Truman. Marge is one of the show’s central young characters and has a close friendship with Lilly Bainbridge.
Who plays Lilly Bainbridge?
Clara Stack plays Lilly Bainbridge. Lilly’s storyline involves grief, family difficulties and guilt, making her one of the more emotionally significant young characters.
Who plays Ronnie in Welcome to Derry?
Amanda Christine plays Veronica “Ronnie” Grogan, the daughter of Hank Grogan. Ronnie also becomes friends with Lilly.
Who plays Will Hanlon?
Blake Cameron James plays Will Hanlon. Will is the son of Leroy and Charlotte Hanlon, connecting his story to the Hanlon family in the wider It mythology.
Who plays Rich in Welcome to Derry?
Arian S. Cartaya plays Rich Santos. Rich is one of Will’s friends and is part of the central group of young characters.
Is Teddy Uris related to Stan Uris?
Teddy Uris is a character in Welcome to Derry, played by Mikkal Karim Fidler. The shared Uris family name is a deliberate connection for viewers familiar with the wider It mythology, although the series tells a story set in an earlier period.
Does Pennywise appear in Welcome to Derry?
Yes. Bill Skarsgård returns as Pennywise in It: Welcome to Derry. His presence connects the series directly to the supernatural horror mythology established in the It universe.
Conclusion
The Welcome to Derry cast kids give the series much of its emotional identity. Matilda Lawler, Clara Stack, Amanda Christine, Blake Cameron James and Arian S. Cartaya form the core young ensemble as Marge, Lilly, Ronnie, Will and Rich, while performers such as Miles Ekhardt, Mikkal Karim Fidler and Jack Molloy Legault expand the world around them.
What makes this cast particularly important is the way the children connect personal stories with the larger mythology of Derry. Their friendships, families and fears provide the human side of the horror, while characters such as Will Hanlon and Teddy Uris create links to familiar It history.
For viewers trying to identify who plays who, the easiest place to start is with the five central names: Matilda Lawler as Marge, Clara Stack as Lilly, Amanda Christine as Ronnie, Blake Cameron James as Will and Arian S. Cartaya as Rich. Together, they form the young ensemble that helps make Welcome to Derry more than a simple return of Pennywise.