# Arian Cartaya
**Arian S. Cartaya** (born 2013) is a Cuban-American child actor known for playing Ricardo "Rich" Santos in the HBO horror prequel series *It: Welcome to Derry* (2025)[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/arian-s-cartaya/) • [2](https://popternative.com/popternative-magazine/arian-s-cartaya-on-playing-rich-in-it-welcome-to-derry-stepping-into-stephen-kings-horror-universe/). Born in the United States and raised in a Spanish-speaking Cuban-American household, he entered acting through a viral video and built a screen career beginning at about age eight[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/arian-s-cartaya/) • [3](https://periodicocubano.com/arian-cartaya-biografia-del-nino-actor-en-la-serie-welcome-to-derry-y-la-pelicula-pedro-pan/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2013, USA[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/arian-s-cartaya/) |
| Breakout role | Ricardo "Rich" Santos in *It: Welcome to Derry* (2025), an HBO prequel to Stephen King's *It*[2](https://popternative.com/popternative-magazine/arian-s-cartaya-on-playing-rich-in-it-welcome-to-derry-stepping-into-stephen-kings-horror-universe/) |
| Earlier roles | Álvaro in *Gordita Chronicles* (2022), Miguel in *Juego de mentiras* (2023), Sam O'Peele in *Bad Monkey* (2024)[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/351048/arian-s-cartaya) • [5](https://cubactores.com/articulos/arian-s-cartaya-el-cubanoamericano-nominado-al-saturn-award-que-esta-creciendo-a-paso-firme-en-la-tv-de-ee-uu/32094/) |
| Recognition | Saturn Award nomination for Best Young Performer in a Television Series; Young Entertainer Award nomination for Best Recurring Young Actor (2023)[5](https://cubactores.com/articulos/arian-s-cartaya-el-cubanoamericano-nominado-al-saturn-award-que-esta-creciendo-a-paso-firme-en-la-tv-de-ee-uu/32094/) • [6](https://youngentertainerawards.org/NOMINEES2023.pdf) |
| Background | Cuban-American; Spanish is the main language at home[3](https://periodicocubano.com/arian-cartaya-biografia-del-nino-actor-en-la-serie-welcome-to-derry-y-la-pelicula-pedro-pan/) • [7](https://cubactores.com/entrevistas/arian-cartaya-el-pequeno-actor-que-convirtio-el-azar-en-destino/32683/) |
| Upcoming | *Pedro Pan*, a film about the 1960–1962 Operation Pedro Pan, directed by Richie Adams[3](https://periodicocubano.com/arian-cartaya-biografia-del-nino-actor-en-la-serie-welcome-to-derry-y-la-pelicula-pedro-pan/) |
| IMDb identifier | nm13068736[8](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%98%BF%E9%87%8C%E5%AE%89%C2%B7S.%E5%8D%A1%E5%A1%94%E4%BA%9A/66954228?fromModule=lemma_inlink) |
## How he started
Cartaya's entry into acting was accidental. In 2019, at about six years old, he appeared in a family video posted on Instagram in which he imitated the Puerto Rican musician [Bad Bunny](https://www.edgepedia.org/bad-bunny); the video went viral, and, with promotion from the radio host Enrique Santos, he was contacted to shoot a commercial[3](https://periodicocubano.com/arian-cartaya-biografia-del-nino-actor-en-la-serie-welcome-to-derry-y-la-pelicula-pedro-pan/) • [7](https://cubactores.com/entrevistas/arian-cartaya-el-pequeno-actor-que-convirtio-el-azar-en-destino/32683/). He has said that being asked to appear in that first commercial convinced him he enjoyed acting, and a string of commercials followed[7](https://cubactores.com/entrevistas/arian-cartaya-el-pequeno-actor-que-convirtio-el-azar-en-destino/32683/).
A key step was an audition for a series shooting in Puerto Rico; he has described working on that set as the moment he decided acting was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life[7](https://cubactores.com/entrevistas/arian-cartaya-el-pequeno-actor-que-convirtio-el-azar-en-destino/32683/).
## Screen career, 2021 to 2024
His credited screen work begins in 2021 with the short film *Un Pequeño Corte*, in which he played the character Mean Boy[9](https://www.rarefilmfinder.com/actor.php?id=42298). In 2022 he had what he calls his first important role, as Álvaro in the comedy series *Gordita Chronicles*, appearing in three episodes[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/351048/arian-s-cartaya) • [7](https://cubactores.com/entrevistas/arian-cartaya-el-pequeno-actor-que-convirtio-el-azar-en-destino/32683/). That performance earned him a Young Entertainer Awards nomination for Best Recurring Young Actor in a Television Series[6](https://youngentertainerawards.org/NOMINEES2023.pdf).
In 2023 he appeared in the short film *Birdhouse* as Juan, and in the Spanish-language Telemundo series *Juego de mentiras* as Miguel[9](https://www.rarefilmfinder.com/actor.php?id=42298) • [5](https://cubactores.com/articulos/arian-s-cartaya-el-cubanoamericano-nominado-al-saturn-award-que-esta-creciendo-a-paso-firme-en-la-tv-de-ee-uu/32094/). In 2024 he played Sam O'Peele in a 2024 episode of *Bad Monkey* on Apple TV+, a guest appearance he has credited with placing him inside a larger production and reaching an international audience[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/351048/arian-s-cartaya) • [5](https://cubactores.com/articulos/arian-s-cartaya-el-cubanoamericano-nominado-al-saturn-award-que-esta-creciendo-a-paso-firme-en-la-tv-de-ee-uu/32094/).
## It: Welcome to Derry
*It: Welcome to Derry* premiered on HBO and [HBO Max](https://www.edgepedia.org/hbo-max) on October 26, 2025 and ran through a season finale on December 14, 2025[2](https://popternative.com/popternative-magazine/arian-s-cartaya-on-playing-rich-in-it-welcome-to-derry-stepping-into-stephen-kings-horror-universe/). The series, developed by Andy and Barbara Muschietti with Jason Fuchs, is set in 1962 and expands the world of the 2017 and 2019 *It* films, with [Bill Skarsgård](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-skarsgard) reprising the role of Pennywise[10](https://bleedingcool.com/tv/it-welcome-to-derry-arian-s-cartaya-on-rich-his-co-stars-more/).
Cartaya plays **Ricardo "Rich" Santos**, a Cuban-American boy in a band uniform who befriends the newcomer Will Hanlon (Blake Cameron James); the two become part of the first iteration of the Losers Club as the town's children are targeted by Pennywise[11](https://nerdist.com/article/it-welcome-to-derry-arian-s-cartaya-rich-interview/) • [12](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/horror-shows/it-welcome-to-derrys-cast-of-child-actors-had-to-face-their-fears-when-joining-the-stephen-king-spin-off-and-meeting-bill-skarsgards-pennywise-i-think-i-almost-crapped-my-pants/). In interviews, Cartaya has repeatedly said the role felt close to home: he is Cuban-American and Rich is Cuban, and he prepared for the character partly by watching *¿Qué Pasa, USA?*, the [Spanglish](https://www.edgepedia.org/spanglish) television program his parents watched as teenagers[7](https://cubactores.com/entrevistas/arian-cartaya-el-pequeno-actor-que-convirtio-el-azar-en-destino/32683/) • [13](https://pop-culturalist.com/exclusive-interview-arian-s-cartaya-on-his-breakout-role-in-it-welcome-to-derry-and-the-thrill-of-facing-pennywise/).
The part required new skills. Rich plays the drums, so Cartaya took weekly drum lessons with a coach and learned jazz pieces[7](https://cubactores.com/entrevistas/arian-cartaya-el-pequeno-actor-que-convirtio-el-azar-en-destino/32683/). Filming took nearly two years, much of it in Toronto, where the young cast lived in the same building and, in Cartaya's account, became like a family[2](https://popternative.com/popternative-magazine/arian-s-cartaya-on-playing-rich-in-it-welcome-to-derry-stepping-into-stephen-kings-horror-universe/) • [13](https://pop-culturalist.com/exclusive-interview-arian-s-cartaya-on-his-breakout-role-in-it-welcome-to-derry-and-the-thrill-of-facing-pennywise/).
His character's fate in the penultimate episode, "[The Black Spot](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-black-spot-it-welcome-to-derry)", drew wide fan attention; Cartaya has described heavy rehearsals for the sequence and an emotional reaction to watching it finished[10](https://bleedingcool.com/tv/it-welcome-to-derry-arian-s-cartaya-on-rich-his-co-stars-more/). He received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Young Performer in a Television Series for the role[5](https://cubactores.com/articulos/arian-s-cartaya-el-cubanoamericano-nominado-al-saturn-award-que-esta-creciendo-a-paso-firme-en-la-tv-de-ee-uu/32094/).
## Identity and upcoming work
Cartaya's Cuban-American identity has shaped his career. Spanish is his first language and the language spoken at home, and he has said he tries to bring [Cuban culture](https://www.edgepedia.org/culture-of-cuba) into the characters he plays so that Latino audiences recognize themselves on screen[7](https://cubactores.com/entrevistas/arian-cartaya-el-pequeno-actor-que-convirtio-el-azar-en-destino/32683/) • [14](https://www.justjared.com/2025/12/14/get-to-know-it-welcome-to-derry-star-arian-s-cartaya-with-these-10-fun-facts-exclusive/). His mother, Yami Cartaya, accompanies him to every shoot[3](https://periodicocubano.com/arian-cartaya-biografia-del-nino-actor-en-la-serie-welcome-to-derry-y-la-pelicula-pedro-pan/).
After *Welcome to Derry* concluded, he moved into film. He is in production on *Pedro Pan*, directed by Richie Adams and filming in Mérida, Mexico, in which he plays the character Hectico Nunez[3](https://periodicocubano.com/arian-cartaya-biografia-del-nino-actor-en-la-serie-welcome-to-derry-y-la-pelicula-pedro-pan/) • [15](https://www.imdb.com/es/name/nm13068736/). The film depicts Operation Pedro Pan, the 1960 to 1962 exodus in which more than 14,000 Cuban children were sent to the United States without their parents; Cartaya has described it as a story tied to Cuban historical memory in which thousands of families were separated[3](https://periodicocubano.com/arian-cartaya-biografia-del-nino-actor-en-la-serie-welcome-to-derry-y-la-pelicula-pedro-pan/) • [7](https://cubactores.com/entrevistas/arian-cartaya-el-pequeno-actor-que-convirtio-el-azar-en-destino/32683/).
## References
1. [Arian S. Cartaya – Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/arian-s-cartaya/)
2. [Arian S. Cartaya on Playing Rich in 'IT: Welcome to Derry', Popternative Magazine](https://popternative.com/popternative-magazine/arian-s-cartaya-on-playing-rich-in-it-welcome-to-derry-stepping-into-stephen-kings-horror-universe/)
3. [Arian Cartaya: biografía del niño actor en la serie 'It: Welcome to Derry' y la película 'Pedro Pan', Periódico Cubano](https://periodicocubano.com/arian-cartaya-biografia-del-nino-actor-en-la-serie-welcome-to-derry-y-la-pelicula-pedro-pan/)
4. [Arian S. Cartaya, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/351048/arian-s-cartaya)
5. [Arian S. Cartaya, el cubanoamericano nominado al Saturn Award, CubaActores](https://cubactores.com/articulos/arian-s-cartaya-el-cubanoamericano-nominado-al-saturn-award-que-esta-creciendo-a-paso-firme-en-la-tv-de-ee-uu/32094/)
6. [Young Entertainer Awards 2023 Nominees](https://youngentertainerawards.org/NOMINEES2023.pdf)
7. [Arian Cartaya: el pequeño actor que convirtió el azar en destino, CubaActores](https://cubactores.com/entrevistas/arian-cartaya-el-pequeno-actor-que-convirtio-el-azar-en-destino/32683/)
8. [阿里安·S.卡塔亚, 百度百科](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E9%98%BF%E9%87%8C%E5%AE%89%C2%B7S.%E5%8D%A1%E5%A1%94%E4%BA%9A/66954228?fromModule=lemma_inlink)
9. [Arian S. Cartaya Filmography, RareFilmFinder](https://www.rarefilmfinder.com/actor.php?id=42298)
10. [It: Welcome to Derry: Arian S. Cartaya on Rich, His Co-Stars & More, Bleeding Cool](https://bleedingcool.com/tv/it-welcome-to-derry-arian-s-cartaya-on-rich-his-co-stars-more/)
11. [WELCOME TO DERRY Star Arian S. Cartaya on Playing Rich, Friendship, and More, Nerdist](https://nerdist.com/article/it-welcome-to-derry-arian-s-cartaya-rich-interview/)
12. [It: Welcome to Derry's cast of child actors had to face their fears, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/horror-shows/it-welcome-to-derrys-cast-of-child-actors-had-to-face-their-fears-when-joining-the-stephen-king-spin-off-and-meeting-bill-skarsgards-pennywise-i-think-i-almost-crapped-my-pants/)
13. [Exclusive Interview: Arian S. Cartaya on His Breakout Role in 'IT: Welcome to Derry', Pop Culturalist](https://pop-culturalist.com/exclusive-interview-arian-s-cartaya-on-his-breakout-role-in-it-welcome-to-derry-and-the-thrill-of-facing-pennywise/)
14. [Get to Know 'It: Welcome to Derry' Star Arian S. Cartaya with These 10 Fun Facts!, Just Jared](https://www.justjared.com/2025/12/14/get-to-know-it-welcome-to-derry-star-arian-s-cartaya-with-these-10-fun-facts-exclusive/)
15. [Arian S. Cartaya, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/es/name/nm13068736/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of Latin America and Iberia › Caribbean screen actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license