How Will Dick Hallorann Factor Into WELCOME TO DERRY?

by

The chilling new series, Welcome to Derry, based on Stephen King’s story, is now available to watch. Set in Derry, Maine, during the 1960s, the show delves deeper into the town’s dark history, emphasizing the fear and brutality as Pennywise preys on local children. Welcome to Derry features a cast of compelling characters, including a familiar face for Stephen King fans: the telepath Dick Hallorann, played by Chris Chalk.

Where We’ve Seen Him Before

If you recognize the name Dick Hallorann, you’re right to! He first appeared in the movie The Shining, though the character was portrayed as being about ten years older than in other stories. Actually, Hallorann shows up in quite a few of Stephen King’s books and stories. Here’s a complete list of his appearances so far.

The Shining

Dick Hallorann first appears as a cook in Stanley Kubrick’s iconic psychological thriller, The Shining. He has a psychic ability, also called “The Shining,” which he shares with the young Danny Torrance, and uses to warn him about potential dangers. Throughout the film, Hallorann is a key figure who tries to help the Torrance family as Jack Torrance falls under the hotel’s sinister influence. The character later reappears in a 1990s mini-series by Mick Garris.

IT

Although Dick Hallorann doesn’t appear in the 2019 movie version of IT, he’s a character in Stephen King’s novel. The book reveals Hallorann was a cook in the army and worked at a Black nightclub in Derry, Maine, called “The Black Spot.” This club was destroyed by a group called the Legion of White Decency in 1930. Thanks to his psychic abilities, Hallorann manages to save several people inside, including the father of Mike Hanlon.

Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep continues the story from The Shining. The film delves into the history of Dick Hallorann, explaining where his psychic ability, ‘the Shining,’ came from. He shares with Danny Torrance that his grandmother, Rose, also had the Shining, while his grandfather was cruel. After his grandfather died, Rose taught Dick how to mentally block out negative psychic energy, a skill he then passes on to Danny.

Chris Chalk is the latest actor to play Dick Hallorann, a role previously held by Scatman Crothers in the 1980 film The Shining, Melvin van Peebles in a 1990s mini-series, and Carl Lumbly in the 2019 sequel Doctor Sleep. Chalk recently discussed his interpretation of the character in an interview with TopMob.

I spent around 45 minutes learning about previous portrayals of Dick Hallorann, but then I had to focus on developing my own interpretation of the character, using everything I’d gathered as a foundation. – Chris Chalk

How Will Hallorann Tie Into Welcome to Derry?

Fans of Stephen King are eager to find out how a familiar character will be involved in the new, very violent series. It’s safe to say his abilities will likely be important in Welcome to Derry, but the specifics remain a mystery.

Episode One

Right from the first episode, we get a quick glimpse of Hallorann while he’s working at the air force base where Leroy Hanlon is. It’s a short scene, but it definitely makes you wonder about him and hints that he’s going to be really important to the whole story. It instantly made me think about The Shining and how his abilities connect to what’s happening with IT. It’s like the series is already showing us those connections are key!

This episode highlights Hallorann’s attention to Hanlon and his gift for sensing the strange happenings in Derry. He’s the only level-headed adult who can perceive IT in its different guises, and this ability will likely be important as the story progresses.

Chris Chalk explained that a great aspect of this show and his portrayal of Dick is that everything feels fresh. He noted that all the details in this version of the character build towards something new, making his job, in some ways, simpler than others’.

I felt confident I wouldn’t die, and I had a strong foundation to build on – as long as I respected the existing elements of the story. This allowed me to collaborate with director Andy Muschietti and my fellow actors, and to really shape the character as I envisioned. Interestingly, we rarely received specific direction on how to play our parts, so exploring the character’s backstory and motivations was a really enjoyable challenge.

Hallorann’s special ability, ‘the Shining,’ will likely be very important as the story continues, and could even be what finally stops Pennywise the clown. We’ll be updating this article after each episode with new details, so check back often!

Read More

2025-10-27 21:33