Richie Tozier

Last updated
Richie Tozier
It character
Richie Tozier.jpg
Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier
First appearance It (1986)
Last appearance It Chapter Two (2019)
Created by Stephen King
Portrayed by
In-universe information
Full nameRichard Tozier
NicknamesRich, Trashmouth
GenderMale
Occupation
  • Disc-Jockey (novel)
  • Stand-Up comedian (miniseries and movie)
Family
  • Maggie Tozier (mother)
  • Wentworth Tozier (father)
Home Derry, Maine
Los Angeles, California

Richard "Richie" Tozier is a fictional character created by Stephen King [1] and one of the main characters of his 1986 novel It . The character is a member of "The Losers Club" and is seen to be the comic relief of the group; however, his loudmouthed antics often get him in trouble, leading to him being called "Richie 'Trashmouth' Tozier" and his friends often using the phrase "Beep Beep Richie" when they want him to be quiet. He was portrayed by Seth Green as a child and Harry Anderson as an adult in the 1990 miniseries adaptation of the novel, and by Ankur Javeri as a child and Nasirr Khan as an adult in the novel's 1998 television series adaptation. He was later portrayed by Finn Wolfhard as a child and Bill Hader as an adult in the 2017 film and its 2019 sequel. [2]

Contents

Fictional character biography

Richard (Richie) Tozier was born on March 7, 1946 (novel), 1950 (miniseries), or 1976 (films) and is the son of Maggie and Wentworth Tozier. Richie is known for his loudmouthed and sarcastic personality, which led to him being called "Richie 'Trashmouth' Tozier" by his peers. Richie is good friends with Bill Denbrough and the other members of The Losers Club Stanley Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak, Ben Hanscom, Beverly Marsh, and Mike Hanlon. After Bill's younger brother Georgie is killed by Pennywise the Dancing Clown, Richie and his friends each have individual encounters with Pennywise before facing It collectively at Neibolt Street. After this encounter, they believe they have killed It, but they take an oath that if they have not succeeded, they will one day return to Derry to finish the job.

27 years later, Richie is a disc-jockey in Beverly Hills and one of the only members of The Losers Club to have never married. Richie receives a call from Mike – who remained behind in Derry – that It has returned, causing the death of Adrian Mellon. Richie returns to Derry and reunites with The Losers Club, with whom he encounters It once again. Eventually, the group descends into the sewers to kill It by performing the Ritual of Chud. During the ritual, It mortally wounds and kills Eddie, leaving Richie devastated.

Adaptations

Richie was portrayed by Seth Green as a child, and by Harry Anderson as an adult in the 1990 miniseries, and by Ankur Javeri as a child and Nasir Khan as an adult (named "Raja") in the 1998 television series. The adult portrayal is well known for a scene where Pennywise taunts him in a public library, which has become iconic for Tim Curry's over-the-top performance.

Richie was portrayed again by Finn Wolfhard in the 2017 film and as an adult by Bill Hader in the 2019 sequel. This interpretation of Richie tends to make more pop-culture references and becomes a stand-up comedian as an adult rather than a DJ. A popular fan theory of Wolfhard's interpretation of the character is that his family has a tendency to neglect Richie and that he struggles with ADHD.

Richie's sexuality

In the adaptation of It Chapter Two , Richie is portrayed as being secretly in love with Eddie Kaspbrak until the latter's death, and Eddie remained unaware of these feelings. It is confirmed that Richie's reason for making jokes are just in part a defense mechanism to hide his feelings for Eddie, as most of his jokes target him, as opposed to just trying to be humorous as in the book or other adaptation of IT. [3] This film incorporates a scene where, when Eddie is killed by Pennywise, Richie is visibly more upset than the rest of the Losers' Club. It is revealed in one of the final scenes of the film that Richie recarves his and Eddie's initials into a bridge. [4]

Director Andy Muschietti has stated that the decision to depict Richie as gay in It Chapter Two was based on this interpretation of the book. [5] Stephen King said that while he didn't intend for there to be an unrequited romance between the two characters, he approved of the storyline, saying "it’s one of those things that’s kind of genius, because it echoes the beginning [with Adrian Mellon's gay bashing]. It comes full circle. At least there’s love involved. Somebody cares for [Eddie,] and that echoes the love that Adrian’s partner has for him. So that was cool.” [6]

Comedy

Richie is known as being the comedian of The Losers Club, often telling jokes at inappropriate times, which leads to his friends often saying "Beep Beep, Richie" when they want him to stop talking. Richie's humor has been viewed as being either a defense mechanism, or a call for attention. [7] It has been speculated that Richie uses his comedy as a defense mechanism, to hide his fear of not only Pennywise, but his fear of not being accepted by The Losers Club. Once Richie has his first encounter with Pennywise, his comedy turns into a coping mechanism as well, hiding his fears of the supernatural being and the possibility of his death at the hands of the creature. [8] Strictly in It Chapter Two , it has been interpreted by some fans that Richie's comedic defense mechanism also doubles as him hiding his romantic feelings for Eddie Kaspbrak. [9] It has also been speculated that Richie's comedy derives from a feeling of neglect by his parents, and as a cry for attention from his friends. He wants to have the attention and love from his friends that he doesn't receive at home from his parents. [10] [11]

Appearances in other King stories

Richie briefly appears in a cameo appearance in King's novel 11/22/63 . In the novel, after the events of Pennywise, Richie is seen dancing with Beverly preparing for a talent show. The two are approached by time traveler Jake Epping, who enquires about the Dunning family. Afterwards, Epping teaches the two how to dance properly. However, this meeting is erased by the end of the novel as Epping removes his mark on history. [12]

In King's novel Duma Key , the song excerpt in the beginning is by a band called Shark Puppy. In the credits page of the book, the song is written by R. Tozier and W. Denbrough.

Reception

The portrayals of Richie in the 2017 remake by Wolfhard and the 2019 sequel by Hader were both highly praised and considered to be "show-stealers". Both portrayals were noted for their comedic relief and chemistry with their fellow cast members, in particular between Wolfhard and Jack Dylan Grazer for the first film and Hader and James Ransone in the second. Hader's portrayal was noted for its blend of comedy and drama when required, as well as the subtle references to Richie's sexuality and his implicated love for Eddie, referred to by Pennywise as his "dirty little secret." [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>It</i> (novel) 1986 novel by Stephen King

It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his 22nd book and his 17th novel written under his own name. The story follows the experiences of seven children as they are terrorized by an evil entity that exploits the fears of its victims to disguise itself while hunting its prey. "It" primarily appears in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown to attract its preferred prey of young children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derry (Stephen King)</span> Fictional setting of the "It" universe

Derry is a fictional town in the U.S. state of Maine that has served as the setting for a number of Stephen King's novels, novellas, and short stories, notably It. Derry first appeared in King's 1981 short story "The Bird and the Album" and has reappeared as recently as his 2011 novel 11/22/63.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Anderson</span> American actor, comedian, and magician (1952–2018)

Harry Laverne Anderson was an American actor, comedian and magician. He is best known for his role of Judge Harry Stone on the 1984–1992 television series Night Court. He later starred in the sitcom Dave's World from 1993 to 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Hader</span> American comedian and actor (born 1978)

William Thomas Hader Jr. is an American comedian, actor, director, and television writer. Hader gained widespread attention for his eight-year stint as a cast member on the long-running NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2005 to 2013, for which he received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Peabody Award. He became known for his impressions and especially for his work on the Weekend Update segments, where he played Stefon Meyers, a flamboyant New York nightclub tour guide.

Three on a match is a purported superstition among soldiers during the Crimean War to World War II. The superstition goes that if three soldiers lit their cigarettes from the same match, one of the three would be killed or that the man who was third on the match would be shot. Since then, it has been considered bad luck for three people to share a light from the same match. This superstition has become part of popular Western culture in films, novels and other art forms.

James Finley Ransone III is an American actor and musician. He is known for his roles as Ziggy Sobotka in the second season of the drama series The Wire, United States Marine Corps Cpl. Josh Ray Person in the war drama miniseries Generation Kill (2008), The Deputy in the supernatural horror films Sinister (2012) and Sinister 2 (2015), Chester in Tangerine (2015), the adult Eddie Kaspbrak in It Chapter Two (2019), and Max in The Black Phone (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It (character)</span> Title character of Stephen Kings 1986 novel

It is the titular main antagonist in Stephen King's 1986 horror novel It. The character is an ancient, trans-dimensional evil entity who preys upon the children of Derry, Maine, roughly every 27 years, using a variety of powers that include the ability to shapeshift, manipulate reality, and go unnoticed by adults. During the course of the story, It primarily appears in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. "The Losers Club" becomes aware of Pennywise's presence because of Bill's little brother, Georgie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Skarsgård</span> Swedish actor (born 1990)

Bill Istvan Günther Skarsgård is a Swedish actor. He is best known for portraying Pennywise in the horror films It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019), based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. Other horror appearances were in the film Barbarian (2022) and the series Hemlock Grove (2013–2015) and Castle Rock (2018–2019).

Mana Hirata is a Japanese actress and voice actress from Tokyo, Japan. She is affiliated with Production Baobab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaeden Martell</span> American actor (born 2003)

Jaeden Martell is an American actor. He played the role of Bill Denbrough in the 2017 film adaptation of Stephen King's novel It and reprised the role in the film's 2019 sequel. He also appeared in the mystery film Knives Out (2019) and starred in the miniseries Defending Jacob (2020).

<i>It</i> (miniseries) 1990 psychological horror/drama miniseries

It is a 1990 ABC two-part psychological horror drama miniseries directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and adapted by Lawrence D. Cohen from Stephen King's 1986 novel of the same name. The story revolves around a predatory monster that can transform itself into its prey's worst fears to devour them, allowing it to exploit the phobias of its victims. It mostly takes the humanoid form of Pennywise, a darkly comedic clown. The protagonists are The Lucky Seven, or The Losers Club, a group of outcast kids who discover Pennywise and vow to kill him by any means necessary. The series takes place over two different time periods, the first when the Losers first confront Pennywise as children in 1960, and the second when they return as adults in 1990 to defeat him a second time after he resurfaces.

<i>It</i> (2017 film) 2017 supernatural horror film by Andy Muschietti

It is a 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by Andy Muschietti and written by Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, and Gary Dauberman. It is the first of a two-part adaptation of the 1986 novel of the same name by Stephen King, primarily covering the first chronological half of the book. It is the first film in the It film series as well as being the second adaptation following Tommy Lee Wallace's 1990 miniseries. The film stars Jaeden Lieberher and Bill Skarsgård as the lead roles, with Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Nicholas Hamilton, and Jackson Robert Scott featured in supporting roles. The film was produced by New Line Cinema, KatzSmith Productions, Lin Pictures, and Vertigo Entertainment. Set in Derry, Maine, the film tells the story of The Losers' Club, a group of seven outcast children who are terrorized by the eponymous being which emerges from the sewer (Skarsgård), only to face their own personal demons in the process.

<i>It Chapter Two</i> 2019 film by Andy Muschietti

It Chapter Two is a 2019 American supernatural horror film directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Gary Dauberman. It is the sequel to It (2017) and the second of a two-part adaptation of the 1986 novel It by Stephen King and final film in the series, primarily covering the second chronological half of the book. The film stars Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, Andy Bean, and Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise. Set in 2016, 27 years after the events of the previous film, the story centers on the Losers Club and their relationships as they reunite to destroy It once and for all.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finn Wolfhard</span> Canadian actor and musician (born 2002)

Finn Wolfhard is a Canadian actor and musician. He is known for playing Mike Wheeler on the Netflix series Stranger Things (2016–present). He also played the roles of Richie Tozier in the horror film It (2017) and its sequel It: Chapter Two (2019), and has starred in the supernatural film Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021). Wolfhard has since made his directorial debut with the comedy short film Night Shifts (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wyatt Oleff</span> American actor

Wyatt Jess Oleff is an American actor, known for portraying the role of Stanley Uris in the 2017 supernatural horror film It and its 2019 sequel, as well as the role of Stanley Barber in the coming-of-age comedy-drama streaming television series I Am Not Okay With This, and Peter Quill as a child in the Marvel Studios superhero film Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014 and its sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Denbrough</span> Fictional character from the novel IT

William "Bill" Denbrough is a fictional character created by Stephen King and the main protagonist of his 1986 novel It. The character is considered to be the leader of "The Losers Club" and initiates finding and killing Pennywise the Dancing Clown after his younger brother Georgie is killed by the clown. The character was first portrayed in the 1990 TV mini-series by Jonathan Brandis as a child, and by Richard Thomas as an adult. In the 2017 adaptation and its 2019 sequel, the character was portrayed by Jaeden Martell as a child and James McAvoy as an adult.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Marsh</span> Fictional character from the novel IT

Beverly "Bev" Marsh is a fictional character created by Stephen King and one of the main characters of his 1986 horror novel It. The character is seen as a member of "The Losers Club" and a romantic interest of fellow members Bill Denbrough and Ben Hanscom, she also makes a brief cameo in the book 11/22/63 dancing with Richie Tozier after the events of IT, this event is later erased from history. She is portrayed in the 1990 TV mini-series adaptation by Emily Perkins as a child and Annette O'Toole as an adult. She is portrayed in the 2017 film again and its 2019 sequel by Sophia Lillis as a child and Jessica Chastain as an adult.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgie Denbrough</span> Fictional character

Georgie Elmer Denbrough is a fictional character created by Stephen King from his 1986 epic horror novel It. Georgie is the younger brother of Bill Denbrough, and falls prey to Pennywise the Clown. He is used by Pennywise to taunt Bill throughout the novel. Georgie is portrayed by Tony Dakota in the 1990 TV miniseries adaptation and by Jackson Robert Scott in the theatrical film series. Dakota also reprised his role for a 2019 short fan film based on the 1990 TV miniseries adaptation of the novel, titled Georgie, which shows a "What If" scenario if Georgie had survived his encounter with Pennywise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not It</span> 5th episode of the 34th season of The Simpsons

"Not It" is the fifth episode of the 34th season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 733rd episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 23, 2022. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore, and written by Cesar Mazariegos. The episode is a parody of Stephen King's 1986 supernatural horror novel It and its film adaptations, It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019).

References

  1. "There's a Cameo in 'It Chapter Two' that's pretty damn perfect". Popsugar. 2019-09-05. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  2. Hedash, Kara (2019-09-01). "What Happened To Richie In The IT Book". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  3. Itzkoff, Dave (September 6, 2019). "Bill Hader discusses Richie Tozier's secret in 'It Chapter Two'". The New York Times . Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  4. Opie, David (September 13, 2019). "The scariest thing about It Chapter Two is the film's limited portrayal of queerness". Digital Spy . Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  5. "'It Chapter Two': How Richie's secret came from Stephen King's book". IGN . September 7, 2019. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  6. Breznican, Anthony (September 7, 2019). "Stephen King Loved Insulting It: Chapter Two's Stephen King Stand-In". Vanity Fair . Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  7. Eisenberg, Eric (2019-09-05). "Why IT Chapter Two Developed That Big Reveal For Richie". CinemaBlend. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  8. Kerr, Alec (2019-09-12). "Review: Overlong 'It Chapter 2' offers psychological complex horror". Conway Daily Sun. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  9. Vejvoda, Jim (2019-09-15). "It Chapter Two: How Richie's Secret Comes from Stephen King's Book". IGN. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  10. Geisinger, Gabriella (2019-08-29). "IT: Chapter 2 - the movies aren't about clowns, so what does that mean for the sequel?". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  11. Tessier, Colin (2017-09-10). "Review: Horror remake captures complexity of childhood fears". The Ithacan. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  12. "How '11/22/63' Fits Into Stephen King's Ever Expanding Universe". Time. 2011-11-04. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
  13. "Why IT Chapter Two's Richie Twist Really Worked". CinemaBlend. September 7, 2019. Retrieved September 7, 2019.