When IT: Welcome to Derry was eventually released, two things became clear to audiences immediately: first, the series is firmly rooted in the supernatural small town of Stephen King, and secondly, the cast shared an almost natural, down-to-earth relationship that makes the emotional moments in the series seem even more authentic.For IT: Welcome to Derry's Hank Grogan, portrayed by Stephen Rider; such a connection was not a result of any rehearsals or table reads. Rather, he claimed that it was a result of something unforeseen, the Hollywood strikes.The strike break, according to Rider, was “the biggest blessing.” As the filming was put on hold for several months, he and co-star Amanda Christine got to know each other on a real level outside the set. It is that in-life connection that made their on-screen chemistry seem more genuine and natural.Although the industry was not doing well during the pause, Rider thinks the hiatus allowed actors breathing time to reset and go back to work with even greater trust in each other, which eventually allowed the show to become more intimate and authentic.How the Hollywood strikes disrupted filming for IT: Welcome to Derry View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe 2023 writers' and actors’ strike impacted the whole of Hollywood and IT: Welcome to Derry was not left out. The shooting was halted mid-way, leaving half-finished frames and the cast was abruptly separated for months. However, in the case of Stephen Rider and Amanda Christine, the separation proved beneficial to them, as they play a father-daughter duo in IT: Welcome to Derry.They did not have to hurry to develop on-screen chemistry within a tight schedule, but instead used the idle time to get to know each other better. They shared family stories, had off-camera conversations, and made regular check-ins. According to Rider, this added a natural and real touch to their relationship on the show, IT: Welcome to Derry. In the It: Welcome to Derry The Official Podcast, Stephen Rider said:“I still talk to Amanda, we talk. Like that’s my family. And I think the biggest blessing beyond that, in a lot of ways, was the strike. Because it allowed all of us to really sit with these relationships and we would FaceTime each other and talk. And she would tell me, her being a little young, like my niece … dealing with life....But it allowed us to build an intimate relationship.We had only filmed a little bit before we went on strike. I think the biggest blessing is that we came back, and we had a genuine relationship that transcended, just me and her. Our families know each other, and we still talk. And so, I love Amanda. And I didn’t have to pretend on loving her. Now, of course, I had to personalize that because she’s still not my daughter. But the fact that we learned how to love each other, and more so, especially for Black women, she had to learn how to trust me.”Later, the producers also confessed that the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike made them reconsider some of the scenes as well as the format of the season. However, to some of the actors, the sudden discontinuity provided room to establish trust, and that emotional richness found its place on screen.How downtime changed performance notes and on-set dynamicsThe Hollywood strikes surprisingly granted Stephen Rider and his co-stars some of that time. With IT: Welcome to Derry filming on hold, they spoke more, compared notes, and delved into their characters without the stress of day-in, day-out shoots. So when Rider says the strike was a "blessing," he doesn't mean the delay was fun; he meant that it changed the way the cast connected and worked.For more such insights on IT: Welcome to Derry, keep following Soap Central.