| Richie Tozier | |
|---|---|
| It character | |
 Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier | |
| First appearance | It (1986) |
| Created by | Stephen King |
| Portrayed by |
|
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Richard Tozier |
| Nicknames | Rich, Trashmouth |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation |
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| Family |
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| Home | Derry, Maine Los Angeles, California |
Richard "Richie" Tozier is a fictional character created byStephen King[1] and one of the main characters of his 1986 novelIt. He was portrayed bySeth Green as a child andHarry Anderson as an adult inthe 1990 miniseries adaptation of the novel. He was later portrayed byFinn Wolfhard as a child andBill Hader as an adult inthe 2017 film andits 2019 sequel.[2]
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 withBill Denbrough and the other members of The Losers ClubStanley Uris,Eddie Kaspbrak,Ben Hanscom,Beverly Marsh, andMike Hanlon. After Bill's younger brother Georgie is killed byPennywise the Dancing Clown, Richie and his friends each have individual encounters with Pennywise before facing It collectively in the sewers. 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.
Richie was portrayed bySeth Green as a child, and byHarry Anderson as an adult in the1990 miniseries, and by Ankur Javeri as a child and Nasir Khan as an adult (named "Raja") in the1998 television series. The adult portrayal is well known for a scene where Pennywise taunts him in a public library, which has become iconic forTim Curry's over-the-top performance.
Richie was portrayed again byFinn Wolfhard inthe 2017 film and as an adult byBill Hader inthe 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.
In the adaptation ofIt Chapter Two, Richie is portrayed as being secretly in love withEddie Kaspbrak until the latter's death, and Eddie remained unaware of these feelings-- however, it is hinted that Eddie may be bisexual himself, as Pennywise appears to him and shows an upside-down triangle with his balloons the same way he did Richie, the upside-down triangle being a symbol of hiding homosexuality. 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 ofIT.[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] The book, however, does depict Richie as somewhat flirty with almost all members of the Losers Club, but this is described as being more of a defense mechanism or a way for him to reach out.
DirectorAndy Muschietti has stated that the decision to depict Richie as gay inIt 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'sgay 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]
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 inIt Chapter Two, it has been interpreted by some fans that Richie's comedic defense mechanism also doubles as him hiding his romantic feelings forEddie 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]
Richie briefly appears in a cameo appearance in King's novel11/22/63. In the novel, after the events of Pennywise, Richie is seen dancing withBeverly preparing for a talent show. The two are approached by time traveler Jake Epping, who inquires 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 novelDuma 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.
The portrayals of Richie in the 2017 film adaptation 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 andJack Dylan Grazer for the first film and Hader andJames 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]
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