“IT: Welcome to Derry” requires your complete focus during viewing. Andy Muschietti’s “IT” prequel is filled with Stephen King references, from the detail-rich opening credits to interconnected characters. Episode 3 carries this legacy forward, showcasing a brief appearance by Muschietti himself that could be easily missed.

### Who does Andy Muschietti portray in “IT: Welcome to Derry” episode 3?

The episode kicks off in 1908, featuring a young boy at a dusty carnival, including a “Human Freaks” sideshow. As he walks through a hall of mirrors, piano notes play in the background. The pianist, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, gruffly instructs the boy to “keep moving!” accompanied by a chilling laugh. This piano player is Andy Muschietti.

Although brief, his cameo adds to the disturbingly eerie atmosphere, culminating in the boy escaping the tent after a one-eyed man leaps out to frighten him. This isn’t Muschietti’s first guest appearance in the IT franchise; he previously showed up in “IT: Chapter Two” as a pharmacy customer in a scene with Eddie Kaspbrak.

New episodes of “IT: Welcome to Derry” are broadcast on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.