Chris Chalk Will Play Dick Hallorann in IT: Welcome to Derry — Why That Matters

IT: Welcome to Derry will feature Dick Hallorann, a familiar Stephen King character, played by Chris Chalk. The casting ties the Pennywise prequel to King’s wider universe, and the series is set to premiere on October 26, 2025.

1. Dick Hallorann in the series
2. Chris Chalk’s approach to the role
3. Hallorann’s history in King adaptations
4. What to read before the show starts

Dick Hallorann in IT: Welcome to Derry

The series includes a younger version of Dick Hallorann, the telepathic cook first known from The Shining. In this show, Hallorann appears as a military man stationed near Derry. Chris Chalk plays the role, which connects the new series to other Stephen King stories while also filling in parts of Hallorann’s backstory from the original IT novel.

Chris Chalk’s approach to the role

Chalk, whose credits include Godzilla vs. Kong, has said he leaned heavily on source material and his theater background while building the character. He told Polygon: “I’ve taken every single bit of information I can,” Chalk tells Polygon. Furthermore, he described his process with a personal development book: “This is a book I created to develop character, and this is what we do,” Chalk says, gesturing to his co-star Stephen Rider. “We’re both from theater; this is the part of it that’s the most fun, getting to know a character as much as I know myself, no matter what it takes. So I take every resource I can and try to make a real human.”

Hallorann’s history in King adaptations

Dick Hallorann first appeared on screen in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film The Shining, where he was played by Scatman Crothers. Since then, the role has been taken on by others, including Melvin van Peebles in the 1997 TV miniseries that Stephen King wrote and executive produced, and Carl Lumbly in Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep.

Why Hallorann matters in this story

In King’s original 1986 IT novel, Hallorann is an Army cook and a member of The Black Spot, an African American army nightclub in Derry that was burned down in 1930. He used his ability, known as the *shining*, to save lives during that incident and later recognized Pennywise in some of its forms. Therefore, his presence in the prequel links directly to events and flashbacks from the book that the new series appears prepared to explore.

What to read before the show starts

If you want context before the series launches, the original IT novel contains Hallorann’s fuller backstory, including the Black Spot episode and his use of the shining. In addition, The Shining and Doctor Sleep provide background on the character’s portrayal across different adaptations. If you have time before October 26, 2025, those books and films will give you a clear picture of why Hallorann’s casting matters.