*This interview contains spoilers for IT: Welcome to Derry

Our last digital cover for November 2025 features actor Miles Ekhardt who plays Matty in the prequel horror series, IT: Welcome to Derry, set in the world of Stephen King’s IT universe. The new series premiered on HBO and HBO Max on October 26 and expands stories established by Andy Muschietti in the feature films It and It Chapter Two. Bill Skarsgård reprises his role as the terrifying clown Pennywise whom audiences finally saw for the first time in the series in the latest fifth episode.

In our exclusive cover chat, Miles discusses preparing to play Matty in IT: Welcome to Derry, what it was like working with Bill Skarsgård, and the experience of getting to transform into Pennywise in episode five.

Exclusive Photos for Popternative Magazine by H.Aphotography
Hair: Hairstyles by Hafez
Makeup: Supostylez Beauty
Clothing: Kinetix

What was your overall process for playing Matty?

Miles: For the original audition, I definitely didn’t have as much of a process as I did when I was filming the series. I worked with an acting coach on my audition, and the general idea was just trying to figure out who this kid Matty is, what is happening in his life that’s behind all of this? And the story I sort of made up was pretty similar to what I eventually learned on set that Andy had with Matty’s abusive father and homelife.

What was it like reading the ending of episode one?

Miles: Reading it was quite the experience; I had a whole lot of time to anticipate what was actually going on with Matty. I did not see the final scene in episode one coming, but I also feel kind of bad that we got rid of all these characters. We made it like our own cold open, but in the entire episode.

What were the conversations like with the showrunners about Matty’s eventual return in episode five?  

Miles: That was a very exciting conversation, because that was something I did not know for a while, and I don’t think it was written for a while. That was something that they eventually put in there where Matty is coming back. And I was very excited, just on my selfish side, to get to revisit this character for more than just episode one, but also that I got a chance to play this Pennywise version of a character. It was really interesting to have to figure out who this demon clown is and what his version of a sad kid would be like.

What can you tell us about your time working on set with Bill Skarsgård?

Miles: My time with Bill was very brief. There was some element of him being more distant from the kids, because he was trying to preserve the performances. So, we talked a little just casually, but most of the time we were talking about the sewer scene and how this would work, and he was very deep in how he would play Pennywise, and we discussed how I would be acting leading into it. I can say he is one hell of an actor.

In episode five, did it feel like you were playing Matty, or did it feel really like you were playing a totally different character?

Miles: I’d say 19 times out of 20 in that episode, it was pretty identical to playing Matty, and that was something that I was directed to do. But every once in a while there were times where this clown was slipping into my performance, like during Lily’s speech where I sort of give off this “wow, I really want to eat them” vibe. And as we gradually get later in the episode and into the sewer, I didn’t have to play that initial fear as much as I could play someone that’s more comfortable with these sewers. And obviously by that last scene, I am fully out of it and just getting into Pennywise zone. But I would say it changed throughout.

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A new episode of IT: Welcome to Derry airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max through December 14.

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