Amanda Christine brings depth and emotion to her role as Ronnie Grogan in HBO’s It: Welcome to Derry, the chilling prequel to Stephen King’s It saga. Set in 1960s Derry, Maine, the series explores the town’s dark history and the origins of Pennywise, while grounding its horror in the human struggles of its residents. Ronnie is the daughter of Hank Grogan (Stephen Rider), a local theater projectionist who becomes the town’s scapegoat after a child mysteriously disappears.
Caught between loyalty to her father and fear of what’s happening around her, Ronnie stands out as one of the few characters who refuses to accept the lies the adults tell. Christine’s portrayal captures both the vulnerability and quiet strength of a young Black girl facing prejudice and terror in equal measure. Her friendship with classmates Lilly and Teddy places her at the heart of the show’s emotional core — a reminder that true courage in Derry often comes from those the town tries hardest to overlook.
Welcome to Derry may be the supernatural horror, the return of Pennywise, and the big‐budget production values, it’s characters like Ronnie Grogan that offer the latent emotional core.