Whatever Happened To The Kids From It?
One of the most celebrated cinematic interpretations of Stephen King is the two-film adaptation of his seminal horror novel "It." Directed by Andy Muschietti, with the movies released in 2017 and 2019, "It" follows the twisted coming-of-age of a group of childhood friends in Derry, Maine. While the seven kids are harassed by neighborhood bully Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton) and his gang of teenage ne'er-do-wells, a different kind of evil festers under Derry. Primarily appearing in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgård), this otherworldly monster instills fear in its young victims before consuming them entirely.
Though the creature has haunted the region since ancient times, the first chapter takes place in the summer of 1989. That's when Pennywise surfaces to claim new victims around Derry while setting its sights on the main characters. Finding strength and solace in numbers, these friends refer to themselves share a bond under the banner of "the Losers Club" as they confront Bowers and Pennywise together.
Of course, a big part of what made the film such a hit was its talented cast of young actors, who seemed destined for stardom. Here's what the kids from 2017's "It" have been up to professionally in the years since the instant horror classic's release.
Jaeden Martell (Bill Denbrough)
Bill Denbrough is the de facto leader of the Losers Club and protagonist of "It." While Bill pretends to be sick to avoid playing out in the rain with his little brother Georgie, Georgie is eaten by Pennywise. Grief-stricken, Bill believes Georgie to still be alive and rallies the Losers in an attempt to rescue him once Pennywise starts menacing him the following summer. Recognizing the threat Bill poses, Pennywise tries to persuade the Losers into abandoning him, only to be defeated by their unshakeable friendship. After driving the weakened Pennywise away, Bill accepts that Georgie is dead and mourns his brother.
Jaeden Martell remains active in television and film, having since appeared prominently in a number of other horror projects. Martell had a memorable role in Rian Johnson's 2019 whodunnit comedy "Knives Out," and even returned to the realm of Stephen King with the 2022 adaptation "Mr. Harrigan's Phone." Outside of genre fare, Martell starred in the 2020 Apple TV+ miniseries "Defending Jacob" and 2022's comedy-drama film "Metal Lords." Audiences can next see Martell in the Nicolas Cage horror film "Arcadian" and the upcoming disaster comedy "Y2K."
Jeremy Ray Taylor (Ben Hanscom)
Ben Hanscom is a Derry boy who is often ostracized and isolated because of his weight, making him a frequent target for the Bowers gang. Ben's family moves to Derry shortly before the start of "It," already making him feel like an outsider before he finds kinship with the Losers Club. As Ben gets settled in town, he researches Pennywise and learns that Derry has been linked to child disappearances and other tragedies for over 200 years. Ben harbors a deep crush on Beverly Marsh and kisses her after Pennywise renders her catatonic, magically restoring her to her senses.
Between the two "It" films, Jeremy Ray Taylor starred in the 2018 family-friendly horror movie "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween." Staying within the realm of the all-ages macabre, Taylor also starred in the 2019 television revival of Nickelodeon's classic series "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" as Midnight Club member Graham Raimi. Outside of the genre, Taylor had a recurring role in the second season of the ABC crime drama series "Big Sky." Recently, he also took on a memorable role in the 2022 comedy film "Senior Year," appearing as a classmate of Rebel Wilson's protagonist.
Sophia Lillis (Beverly Marsh)
Beverly Marsh is the sole girl among the Losers Club and an early crush for several of the boys in the friend group. Beverly has a particularly unhappy childhood, contending with an abusive father while ostracized at school for alleged promiscuity. Pennywise singles out Beverly, kidnapping her and temporarily rendering her catatonic via the otherworldly bright lights in its true form's maw (the "dead lights"). After the Losers rescue Beverly, she informs them of a vision she saw while in the creature's thrall of them fighting Pennywise as adults. This prompts the Losers to swear to return to Derry should the monster ever resurface, before Beverly leaves to be raised by her aunt in Portland.
Since appearing in the "It" movies, Sophia Lillis has been keeping busy with high-profile film and television projects. In 2020, the actress starred as one half of the titular duo in the horror film "Gretel and Hansel," a reimagining of the classic fairytale. Later that year, she starred on the short-lived Netflix original comedy series "I Am Not Okay with This" as teenage telekinetic Sydney Novac. In 2023, Lillis appeared as the elven shape-shifter Doric in "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" and joined the prestigious ensemble cast of the acclaimed Wes Anderson indie "Asteroid City" as Shelly, a teenage member of the Junior Stargazers.
Finn Wolfhard (Richie Tozier)
Every friend group needs a class clown, and for the Losers Club, that constant comedic cut-up is Richie Tozier. The bespectacled adolescent relies on jokes as a self-defense mechanism, often getting into trouble for his propensity for vulgar language. Richie grows particularly close to Eddie, and it's eventually revealed that young Richie was hiding romantic feelings for his friend that lasted into adulthood. Pennywise is able to sense Richie's unrequited affection for Eddie and uses it to terrorize Richie, attempting to lure the boy into a trap.
Finn Wolfhard is one of the most prominent young actors working in Hollywood today, frequently starring in projects within the horror genre. Before appearing in both "It" films, Wolfhard had already been starring in the enormously popular Netflix original series "Stranger Things," which has a fifth and final season planned for 2024. On the big screen, Wolfhard joined another pop culture staple as Egon Spengler's grandson Trevor in 2021's "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" and its upcoming sequel. Wolfhard has also lent his voice to several major animated projects, including the 2019 Netflix revival of "Carmen Sandiego" and Guillermo del Toro's Academy Award-winning stop-motion take on "Pinocchio."
Wyatt Oleff (Stan Uris)
Stanley Uris is the son of Derry's local rabbi, who is diligently preparing for his upcoming bar mitzvah when Pennywise's torment begins. This dedication to his studies and unwavering pragmatism makes Stan the most skeptical about the existence of Pennywise at the start of "It." Stan's doubts are quickly tabled when Pennywise menaces him in the form of a creepy portrait in his father's office. Without having his usual logic to ground him, Stan becomes incredibly frightened when squaring off against Pennywise. This terror carries over to adulthood, with Stan taking his own life rather than returning to Derry for a rematch against the monster.
Since appearing in both "It" films, Wyatt Oleff has pivoted to more dramatic projects in television and film. He starred alongside his "It" co-star Sophia Lillis on "I Am Not Okay with This," a reunion that turned out to be short lived when COVID-related circumstances cancelled plans for a second season. Oleff went on to star as the lead on the Apple TV+ crime drama "City on Fire," which was also canceled after a single season in 2023. On the big screen, Oleff has primarily starred in indie projects, including 2022's "Stay Awake" and "The Year Between."
Chosen Jacobs (Mike Hanlon)
The sole Black member of the Losers Club is Mike Hanlon, who lives on the outskirts of town with his grandfather. Mike uncovers Derry's uncomfortable history of racially-motivated violence while targeted by Bowers and his gang because of his race. Pennywise terrifies the orphaned Mike by taking on the appearance of his deceased parents, who both burned alive before the events of the Losers' fateful summer. Whereas the other members of the club leave Derry after defeating Pennywise, Mike stays behind and is the only one to initially remember the encounter with Pennywise in '89.
In between appearing in both "It" movies, Chosen Jacobs had a recurring role in the first season of "Castle Rock." The Hulu original series drew characters and plots from several Stephen King stories, with Jacobs playing Wendell, the son of protagonist Henry Deaver. He also had a recurring role in the second and final season of the ABC television series "God Friended Me." In 2022, Jacobs appeared in the Disney+ original movie "Sneakerella," the Netflix original movie "Purple Hearts," and Hulu original movie "Darby and the Dead."
Jack Dylan Grazer (Eddie Kaspbrak)
Eddie Kaspbrak is a sickly child, with a deep sense of hypochondria stemming from his overbearingly paranoid single mother. Pennywise plays on Eddie's health-conscious fears by appearing to him as a diseased creature, terrifying the boy. After Eddie breaks his arm investigating Pennywise's hideout, his mother forbids him from going out with the Losers Club. Eventually, Eddie defies his mother's strict orders and stands up for himself, providing valuable aid to the Losers as they attack Pennywise during the climactic showdown of the summer of 1989.
Ever since his 2014 screen debut in an episode of Adam Scott's Adult Swim miniseries "The Greatest Event in Television History," Jack Dylan Grazer has built up an impressive resume. Notably, Grazer starred as Freddy Freeman in the 2019 superhero film "Shazam!" and its 2023 sequel "Shazam! Fury of the Gods." He's also been building quite a voice acting career, starring in the 2021 Pixar animated film "Luca" and its accompanying Disney+ special "Ciao Alberto." Outside of genre-oriented projects, Grazer is expanding into more dramatic work, including the acclaimed 2020 HBO miniseries "We Are Who We Are."
Nicholas Hamilton (Henry Bowers)
Derry's most violent homegrown villain is Henry Bowers, raised by his abusive father Butch to spread virulent anger and hate against everyone around him. Henry quickly forms a deep hatred against the Losers Club, leading his gang to mercilessly attack them at every turn. Pennywise is strongly implied to influence Henry's sadistic behavior, eventually convincing the impressionable boy to murder his father. After Pennywise is defeated, Henry is blamed by the authorities for the child murders in 1989 and convicted of killing Butch, confined to a sanitarium for decades.
"It" is actor Nicholas Hamilton's second Stephen King adaptation, having appeared earlier in 2017 in "The Dark Tower" as Lucas Hanson. In between "It" installments, Hamilton starred in the 2019 Australian war film "Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan," covering a key battle in the Vietnam War. He's since starred in the 2020 romantic drama "Endless" and made a guest-starring appearance on the Hulu original series "Love, Victor." Up next, Hamilton will star in the slasher movie "Do Not Enter," based on the 2005 novel "Creepers" by David Morrell.
Jackson Robert Scott (Georgie Denbrough)
The death of Georgie Denbrough kicks off "It," occurring in late 1988 and haunting Georgie's older brother Bill for the rest of his life. While Bill feigns illness during a rainstorm, Georgie plays with his paper boat outside their home until it falls into a nearby gutter. Pennywise suddenly appears in the gutter and, after charming the boy, drags Georgie into the sewers to eat him when he reaches for his boat. Later, Pennywise takes on Georgie's form to taunt and terrify Bill over the loss of his brother.
On the big screen, young actor Jackson Robert Scott has kept to primarily indie fare, including the 2020 drama "Gossamer Folds" and the 2023 Christian film "Jesus Revolution." Within the horror genre, Scott has also starred in the 2019 film "The Prodigy," taking on a more supernaturally antagonistic role. His biggest role to date is starring in the Netflix original series "Locke & Key," based on the comic book series of the same name by Gabriel Rodriguez and Stephen King's son Joe Hill. Scott starred as Bode Locke over the course of the show's three seasons from 2020-2022.
Owen Teague (Patrick Hockstetter)
One of the most sinister figures in Henry Bowers' gang is Patrick Hockstetter, a lanky, greasy-haired teenager. Patrick displays frightening early psychotic tendencies, storing animals he mutilates in his refrigerator at home. Patrick takes an immediately strong dislike in Ben as he and his gang terrorize the Losers Club, pursuing him in a sewer network under Derry. As he scours the sewers with a makeshift blowtorch, Patrick is ambushed and devoured by Pennywise.
Patrick isn't the last Stephen King villain that Owen Teague has had the opportunity to play, later portraying Harold Lauder in the 2020 television adaptation of "The Stand." Within the horror genre, Teague played a supporting role as Duncan West in the 2020 instant cult favorite horror movie "The Empty Man." Teague has since starred in indie fare, including 2021's "Montana Story" and 2022's "Gone in the Night." More prominently, he appeared in the 2023 Netflix original thriller "Reptile" and the 2019 HBO miniseries "Mrs. Fletcher." Next up, Teague will star as Cornelius in 2024's "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes."
Logan Thompson (Victor Criss)
The most conflicted member of the Bowers gang is Victor "Vic" Criss, who the novel names as the smartest of the bully group. Though loyal to Henry, Vic considers joining up with the Losers Club as Henry's activities grow more vicious. The 2017 "It" film drops much of this literary pretense, making Vic just as antagonistic as the rest of the gang. A deleted scene from the 2017 movie reveals Henry is blamed for murdering Vic, implied to be influenced by Pennywise, with his death omitted entirely in the theatrical cut.
Between the two "It" films, Logan Thompson had a recurring role in the first season of "Titans." Thompson played Nuclear Biff, a brainwashed metahuman who fought the titular superheroes at the behest of the evil Dr. Adamson. After appearing briefly as Vic in a flashback to 1989 in "It: Chapter Two," Thompson appeared in the 2022 musical "Sneakerella." Released as a Disney+ exclusive, "Sneakerella" reunited Thompson with "It" co-star Chosen Jacobs, with Thompson appearing as a background dancer.
Jake Sim (Reginald Huggins)
While Vic is the member of the Bowers gang with the most visible conscience in the novel, that role falls to Reginald "Belch" Huggins in the films. As Henry prepares to carve up Ben's exposed abdomen, Belch is the only gang member to protest the move, though his concerns are quickly silenced. Like Vic, a deleted scene has Belch named among Henry's murder victims, with his survival left unknown in the theatrical cut. In the novel, Pennywise is more explicitly depicted as Belch and Vic's murderer, killing both boys in the sewers as they pursue Ben.
Since appearing in "It," Jake Sim has been much more prolific on television than in feature films. Sim starred in a main role on the Canadian television series "Raising Expectations," which ran for two seasons from 2016-2018. Sim went on to have a recurring role on the Canadian drama series "Holly Hobbie," which has since made it to the States via Hulu. Sim's other cinematic projects include the 2019 post-apocalyptic movie "Riot Girls" and the 2020 television movie "Best Intentions."