If Rich Santo from It: Welcome to Derry looks instantly familiar, you’re not alone. As the prequel series dives deeper into the eerie origins of Derry and the sinister force lurking beneath it, Rich plays a pivotal role in unraveling the town’s haunting mysteries and the actor's compelling performance only adds to the narrative.Rich first appeared in the second episode of It: Welcome to Derry and immediately befriended Will Hanlon, the new kid who moved into Derry with his family. While Will and Rich were opposites, their friendship grew with time and he formed a special connection with Marge after their chilling encounter with Pennywise in Episode 5.Actor Arian S. Cartaya plays Rich in It: Welcome to Derry, who has appeared in many Spanish TV shows and movies.More on this in our story.Arian S. Cartaya plays Rich in It: Welcome to Derry View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe adorable young knight who has charmed the world with his acting in It: Welcome to Derry is actor Arian S. Cartaya. The actor, who shares his character's Cuban heritage, has appeared in a handful of TV shows and movies before his breakthrough role of Rich Santos in HBO's prequel series.Arian S. Cartaya played the character of Alvaro in Claudia Forestieri's 2022 family sitcom Gordita Chronicles and has also appeared in two short films, namely the Spanish movie Un Pequeño Corte and Birdhouse. In 2023, the It: Welcome to Derry star appeared as Miguel in Sebastián Arrau's Spanish thriller series Juego de mentiras. Arian S. Cartaya's most recent role came in Bill Lawrence's 2024 dark comedy series Bad Monkey on Apple TV, where the actor appeared in a cameo as Sam O'Peele, alongside Vince Vaughn.While many fans might not know this, It: Welcome to Derry's co-stars Arian S. Cartaya and Blake Cameron James (Will Hanlon) have previously shared the screen for an AT&T commercial in Georgia. In an interview with Nerdist, Cartaya revealed how he shares a similar amicable relationship with James off-screen:''When we saw each other in Canada, we were like, ‘Oh my God, it’s you! Long time no see.’ So we already had some kind of connection there, and we just like to go have lunch, have dinner. I’m very much a hugger. So my goal at the start to the end of filming was to make Blake a hugger, and I think I accomplished that goal.”Rich sacrificed himself for Marge in Episode 7 View this post on Instagram Instagram PostWill and Rich's friendship instantly provided some much-needed solace in the bleak world of Derry. However, after the latest episode, in which Rich sacrificed himself for Marge and died in the process, fans are mourning for the character. While fans are somewhat content that It could not take Rich's soul in Welcome to Derry and he died while saving his school crush, Marge, his death was still one of the most heartbreaking sequences in King's It universe.In It: Welcome to Derry Episode 7, after Rich and Marge failed to escape from the Black Spot fire through Dick Hallorann's makeshift exit, the former locked Marge in a box to protect her from the smoke. While Marge cried and asked Rich to let her out, he protected her because there was not enough room in the box (Titanic all over again!). While Marge made it out alive, thanks to Rich's idea to lock her in the box, he perished in the Black Spot fire and the firefighters transported his body out, along with the other deceased airmen and civilians.Rich was certainly one of the most interesting characters in the New Losers Club and fans will miss his presence in the finale and the upcoming seasons.Tune in to the It: Welcome to Derry finale on HBO on December 14.For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.