The production nightmares caused by the Hollywood strikes caused many headaches for the creators of It: Welcome to Derry. However, the break offered an unexpected upside for star Stephen Rider.
Rider, who portrayed Hank Grogan, said the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA shutdown gave him and his co-star, Amanda Christine, who played his daughter. Ronnie, extra time to bond. This allowed them to connect and build their relationship during It: Welcome to Derry’s filming break, which strengthened their on-screen chemistry.
Ride revealed on The Official It: Welcome to Derry Podcast that he and Christine became so close that they still talk regularly despite filming being over. He also added that she’s like family to him now. The actor’s comments make it clear how meaningful that unexpected downtime really was for him. The strike, which could have felt like a huge setback, actually gave them room to slow down and really get to know each other.
I still talk to Amanda, we talk. Like that’s my family. And I think the biggest blessing beyond that, in a lot of ways, was the strike. Because it allowed all of us to really sit with these relationships and we would FaceTime each other and talk. And she would tell me, her being a little young, like my niece … dealing with life. You know what I’m saying? But it allowed us to build an intimate relationship.
Rider said that their families even know each other now. He also stated that because of their bond, he didn’t need to pretend to love her while filming because he actually does love her. He further elaborated, saying how they learned to trust each other, which is so much more important on set than most people would think. The actor wanted his co-star to know that she could rely on him no matter what.
We had only filmed a little bit before we went on strike. I think the biggest blessing is that we came back, and we had a genuine relationship that transcended, just me and her. Our families know each other, and we still talk. And so, I love Amanda. And I didn’t have to pretend on loving her. Now, of course, I had to personalize that because she’s still not my daughter. But the fact that we learned how to love each other, and more so, especially for Black women, she had to learn how to trust me. And I think it was important for me to allow her to recognize that she could lean on me, she could depend on me, and I was consistent, and I would show up, not just on set, but show up. And because of it, I believe we were able to hopefully transcend what the pages quote unquote said.
While Rider and Christine had a good experience and benefited from the strike, It: Welcome to Derry’s creators were not as lucky. Barbara Muschietti revealed how the delay caused so many continuity issues. The seasons were different, and working with such a young cast, some of the children’s voices began to change in between filming. Throw in scheduling conflicts with a few actors after the strike ended and having to change the finale, and the whole process was rather