"King aficionados already know this well, but novices tuning in to It prequel Welcome to Derry might be surprised to learn that it features a character from The Shining. Dick Hallorann, the clairvoyant head chef of the Overlook Hotel, appears in Welcome to Derry as a much younger man (played by Chris Chalk). There's precedent for this, as he also plays a small role in It, appearing throughout the novel in brief flashbacks."
"That said, he's also semi-responsible for the popularization of the Magical Negro, a Black character who only uses their supernatural gifts to aid a white protagonist on their journey. Dick Hallorann plays a major role in The Shining, but he exists to serve. He has little internal world of his own, and the same goes for the Black characters in The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption."
Several Stephen King novels occupy a shared universe that places characters across multiple works. Welcome to Derry brings Dick Hallorann, the clairvoyant head chef from The Shining, back as a much younger man played by Chris Chalk. The original novels popularized the Magical Negro trope, with Black characters often existing primarily to aid white protagonists and lacking internal lives. Welcome to Derry expands Hallorann's role, giving him dignity, distinct motivations, and ongoing presence. Chalk emphasizes dignity in his portrayal. The series shows Hallorann using telepathic abilities to assist Army troops stationed outside town who are searching for a Cold War weapon.
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