List of Scream characters
Encyclopedia
Wes Craven
's Scream series
of slasher films features a large cast of characters created primarily by Kevin Williamson with contributions from Craven and Ehren Kruger
. The series focuses on the character of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell
) and a succession of murderers who adopt a ghost-like disguise, dubbed Ghostface
, to taunt and attempt to kill her. The series comprises four films: Scream
(1996), Scream 2
(1997), Scream 3
(2000) and Scream 4
(2011).
Sidney is accompanied in each film by news reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox
) and town Deputy Sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette
). Sidney is initially hostile to Gale, because Gale has written a book about the murder of Sidney's mother, but they grow closer in each successive film as they survive Ghostface's murder attempts. In Scream 2 Gale and Dewey initiate a relationship, which leads to a marriage proposal at the end of Scream 3. In Scream 4, eleven years later, Sidney has written a self-help
book about her experiences, while Dewey has become a Sheriff and is in a strained marriage with Gale, who is struggling to write a new novel.
Each film provides a motive and grounds for suspicion for several characters, concealing the identity of the true killer or killers until the finale, in which their identities and motivations are revealed. In Scream the fictional town of Woodsboro is besieged by a masked killer who focuses on Sidney, revealed in the finale as Sidney's boyfriend Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich
), aided by his friend Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard
). Billy admits to being responsible for the murder of Sidney's mother Maureen Prescott, to take revenge for an affair Maureen had with Billy's father that caused his mother to "abandon" him. In Scream 2 copycat killers again stalk Sidney and her friends, before being revealed as Sidney's friend Mickey (Timothy Olyphant
) and Billy Loomis' mother (Laurie Metcalf
). In Scream 3 another killer hunts Sidney, claiming to have knowledge of Sidney's tragic past, prior to the events of the original film. The killer is revealed to be Roman Bridger (Scott Foley
), Sidney's half-brother, who wants revenge for his rejection and abandonment by their mother. Roman is found to be responsible for convincing Billy to kill Maureen before the events of Scream, setting in motion the events that occur in each successive film. In Scream 4 a killer appears when Sidney returns to Woodsboro on the fifteenth anniversary of the original killings. This killer is revealed to be horror film fan Charlie Walker (Rory Culkin
), with Sidney's cousin Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts
) as his accomplice.
The Scream series has received several awards, including a Saturn Award for Best Actress and an MTV Movie Award for Best Performance for Neve Campbell and a Saturn Award for Best Horror Film
for Scream.
is the first film in the Scream series. One year prior to the events of the film, Maureen Prescott is brutally murdered, apparently by Cotton Weary. During the film, the fictional town of Woodsboro is again attacked by a murderer, who particularly targets Sidney Prescott, Maureen's daughter. Deputy Sheriff Dewey Riley investigates the murders, while news reporter Gale Weathers follows the story. Sidney, her boyfriend Billy Loomis and their friends Tatum Riley, Stu Macher and Randy Meeks try to survive the attacks. The killer is revealed as both Billy and Stu, who admit to having killed Maureen and framed Cotton for the act. Sidney then kills them both.
Billy Loomis is a Woodsboro teenager, the boyfriend of Sidney Prescott and an avid fan of horror films. Following a series of murders, Billy becomes a suspect when he is found at Sidney's house with a cellphone shortly after she is taunted on the phone and attacked by a masked killer. Evidence is discovered that points to other characters, and Billy is removed as a suspect. During a party at Stu Macher's home, Billy and Sidney are reconciled and have sex, before Billy is stabbed by Ghostface. Feigning injury, Billy tries to help Sidney, but obtains a gun, reveals himself as the killer and shoots Randy Meeks. Stu confesses to being Billy's accomplice, and the pair admit to having murdered Sidney's mother, Maureen Prescott, one year previously, after she had had an affair with Billy's father, causing Billy's mother to "abandon" him. With help from Gale, Sidney manages to kill both Billy and Stu.
In Scream 2 Billy's mother seeks revenge on Sidney for Billy's death. In Scream 3 Roman Bridger reveals that he provided the evidence of his father's affair to Billy and gave him advice on how to kill Maureen.
In "Stab", the fictional film within a film based on the murders, Billy is portrayed by Luke Wilson
. The character is parodied in the film Scary Movie
as Bobby Prinze, portrayed by Jon Abrahams
.
Kevin Patrick Walls and Justin Whalin
were final contenders for the role of Billy Loomis before it was won by Skeet Ulrich. Walls was instead cast in the minor role of Steve Orth.
Casey Becker is a Woodsboro teenager and the former girlfriend of Stu Macher. After receiving a taunting and threatening phone call, she is ordered to answer horror film trivia questions to save the life of her boyfriend, Steve. When she answers incorrectly, Steve is murdered and she is asked another question to save her own life. When she refuses to answer, Ghostface chases her down and kills her, leaving her hanged from a tree and disemboweled. In "Stab", the fictional film within a film based on the murders, Casey is played by Heather Graham.
Barrymore was already a successful actress when she appeared in Scream, at a time when casting a big name for a horror film was uncommon. She was originally signed to play the role of Sidney after reading the script and approaching the production team herself, but her schedule eventually meant that she no longer had time to fill the role, and she volunteered for the smaller part of Casey Becker. Like her co-stars Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, her appearance is credited by Craven for raising the profile of the film and helping to attract a larger female audience.
Several scenes leading to Casey's eventual death gave rise to disputes between Craven and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the film rating board, who raised concerns over the violence and intensity of the scene. When she is initially stabbed in the chest by Ghostface, Craven insisted that he had only been able to make one successful take of the scene, so that no substitution was possible; he was, in fact, lying. The scene in which her corpse is hung from a tree and disemboweled was heavily edited: Craven was forced to remove all still shots of the body, and the scene itself was sped up to reduce its time on screen.
Cotton Weary was the original suspect in the rape and murder of Maureen Prescott, Sidney's mother. He was identified by Sidney, who found her mother's body after seeing someone she believed to be Cotton leaving her home. In Scream it is revealed that Maureen was having an affair with Cotton before she was murdered by Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, who then planted evidence to frame Cotton. In Scream 2 Cotton attempts to gain fame from his incarceration and exoneration for Maureen's murder, traveling to Windsor College to convince Sidney to agree to an interview. He later saves Sidney when she is about to be murdered by Mrs. Loomis, one of the Ghostface killers in Scream 2.
In Scream 3 Cotton has become famous for his exploits, hosting his own talk show. He and his girlfriend Christine are attacked by the latest Ghostface, who demands to know the whereabouts of Sidney Prescott after she goes into hiding. When Cotton refuses to tell, Ghostface kills him.
In the original Scream 2 script, Cotton was captured by the real Ghostface killers, Derek, Hallie and Mrs. Loomis. After Mrs. Loomis kills Derek and Hallie, she intends to frame Cotton for the recent murder spree, but he attacks and stabs her to death. He then tries to take revenge on Sidney for his false imprisonment, noting that the evidence points to him being an innocent victim. He and Sidney stab each other, but their fates have not been revealed. Following the leak of the script on the Internet, extensive rewrites were undertaken, changing this plot.
Dwight ("Dewey") Riley is the deputy sheriff of Woodsboro, the brother of Tatum Riley and friend of Sidney Prescott. After a series of murders, he helps lead the investigation, while pursuing a romance with Gale Weathers. He is stabbed by Ghostface during the finale of Scream, but survives. Dewey returns in Scream 2, suffering from a limp and weakened arm caused by nerve damage as a result of his stabbing. He travels to Windsor College to help Sidney after a series of copycat Ghostface murders. He is attacked and stabbed repeatedly by the current Ghostface but again survives. In Scream 3 he aids an investigation into a new Ghostface, later revealed to be Roman Bridger. Dewey shoots Roman in the head, killing him. In the aftermath he asks Gale to marry him, and she accepts. In Scream 4 Dewey has married Gale and returned with her to Woodsboro, becoming the new Sheriff. After a new series of Ghostface murders on the anniversary of Billy's and Stu's spree, Dewey again investigates. By now his relationship with Gale is strained, but, after Gale is badly injured by Ghostface, they resolve their differences.
Dewey had been intended to die in the finale of Scream. However, Craven filmed an additional scene, in which Dewey survives and is placed in an ambulance, in case test audiences reacted positively to the character. When they did, this scene was added to the film.
Arquette was originally brought in to audition for the role of Billy Loomis in Scream, but preferred the character of Dewey and requested to audition for that instead. Despite resistance from the production team, who were concerned that the role was described as "hunky
", rather than the younger, goofier approach of Arquette, Craven appreciated the idea and cast him in the role.
In "Stab", the fictional film within a film based on the Ghostface murders, and again in "Stab 3", Dewey is portrayed by David Schwimmer
and fictional actor Tom Prinze respectively.
Gale Weathers is a news reporter for the fictional news show "Top Story". Prior to the events of the films, she was involved in coverage of the murder of Maureen Prescott and the resulting trial of Cotton Weary, during which she criticized the testimony of Sidney Prescott. In Scream she returns to Woodsboro to cover the current murder spree. During the finale of the film, her cameraman, Kenny, is murdered, and she is left for dead after a car crash. She is later revealed to be alive and witnesses the confession of Billy Loomis and Stu Macher to their role in the killings. She helps Sidney defeat Billy and, after the events of the film, writes a new book about the Ghostface murders. In Scream 2 she travels to Windsor College to cover the current murder spree. She witnesses the apparent death of Dewey before she herself is shot by Mickey, one of the killers. She survives and helps Sidney to kill Mickey. In Scream 3 she is shown to have written another book, this time about the Windsor College killings. She travels to Hollywood to aid the investigation of a new series of murders there. At the end of the film, Dewey asks Gale to marry him, and she accepts. In Scream 4, Gale has married Dewey, becoming Gale Weathers-Riley, but their relationship is strained. She has written a series of novels about fictional Ghostface murders; these have been turned into new films in the fictional "Stab" series. She attempts to reignite her journalistic career by investigating the new murders, but is attacked and badly wounded by the new Ghostface. She survives and resolves her differences with Dewey.
In the fictional "Stab" series of films within a film, Gale is portrayed by fictional actress Jennifer Jolie.
Courteney Cox was starring in the NBC
sitcom Friends
when she was cast in Scream, marking a new trend: casting established and popular actors and actresses in horror films. Craven opined that her presence, like Neve Campbell's, helped raise the profile of Scream and attract a large female audience. Brooke Shields
and Janeane Garofalo
were the original choices for the role of Gale. Cox was not even considered at first, as it was not believed that she could play Gale's selfish, abusive and aggressive character after playing the softer, nicer role of Monica Geller
in Friends. Cox, however, was eager to play a "bitch" character, specifically to contrast with her Friends character, and repeatedly lobbied the production team until she won the role.
Ghostface is a fictional identity, created in Scream by Billy Loomis and Stu Macher to conduct a murder spree in the town of Woodsboro. The costume they use is a generic Halloween costume, officially called "Father Death", that allows anyone to adopt the identity and makes the killers difficult to identify. The killers taunt their victims on the phone before attacking, using a voice changer to disguise their true identity. While in costume, the character is voiced by voice actor Roger L. Jackson. The Ghostface identity is adopted by other killers after the death of Billy and Stu. In Scream 2 it is taken by Billy's mother and her accomplice, Mickey. In Scream 3 it is taken by Sidney's half-brother, Roman Bridger. In Scream 4, on the anniversary of Billy and Stu's murder spree, a new Ghostface emerges, revealed to be Sidney's cousin Jill Roberts and her friend Charlie Walker. In the finale of each film, the current Ghostface killers confront Sidney and explain their motivation for stalking her.
Jackson, who voices Ghostface in all the Scream films, was chosen for the part after weeks of local casting in Santa Rosa, California
. He was intended only as a temporary voice, to be replaced in the post production phase of the film with a dubbed
voice, but his contribution was retained because Craven felt he imbued the voice with a truly evil malevolence. He and the casts of the films were intentionally prevented from meeting for most if not all of each film's production, to discourage the cast from putting a face to the voice, and to make him seem more menacing when interacting with the characters on the phone.
Kenny is Gale Weathers' cameraman on the fictional news show "Top Story". In Scream Kenny accompanies Gale as she reports on the series of murders in Woodsboro. After seeing on a hidden camera that Randy Meeks is about to be murdered, he leaves his van to help, and his throat is slit by Ghostface.
Kenny's neck being slashed was one of the several scenes that had to be toned down by Craven at the behest of the MPAA in order to avoid the restrictive NC-17 rating. The scene was shortened because the MPAA felt that Kenny's expression after his throat was cut was too disturbing.
Maureen Prescott is the mother of Sidney Prescott and wife of Neil Prescott. She is murdered before the events of the Scream films. She conducted several extra-marital affairs, including those with Cotton Weary and Hank Loomis, the father of Billy Loomis. Cotton was arrested and convicted of her murder. In Scream a killer taunts Sidney on the phone about her mother's murder; this killer is later identified as Sidney's boyfriend Billy Loomis and his friend Stu. Billy reveals that it was he and Stu who murdered Maureen and framed Cotton for it. In Scream 3 the current Ghostface uses Maureen's synthesized voice and image to taunt Sidney and lure her out of hiding. The killer is unveiled as Roman Bridger, who reveals that he is Maureen's son and Sidney's half-brother. For a two-year period in her youth, before she met Sidney's father, Maureen had traveled to Hollywood to become an actress under the pseudonym Rina Reynolds. During this time she was gang-raped and became pregnant with Roman, whom she gave up for adoption. When the adult Roman found her, she denied she had been Rina and rejected him. Roman then proceeded to film her affairs and showed the footage to Billy before convincing him to kill Maureen, starting the chain of events that occur throughout the Scream films. Scream 4 introduces Maureen's sister Kate Roberts and her niece Jill Roberts.
Neil Prescott is the father of Sidney Prescott and widower of Maureen Prescott. In Scream he leaves Woodsboro on business and later disappears without trace, raising suspicions that he may be the perpetrator of a series of murders in the town. It is revealed in the finale that he was kidnapped by the real killers, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, who intended to frame him for their crimes. Neil is saved by his daughter. He appears briefly in Scream 3, commenting on Sidney's withdrawal from her friends and life.
Principal Himbry is the principal of Woodsboro High School, attended by Sidney Prescott and her friends. While in his office, he is attacked by Ghostface and stabbed repeatedly before dying.
Scream producer Bob Weinstein
had Himbry's death added to the movie after he realized that the film had "30 pages of script" without a death occurring. By chance, this gave writer Kevin Williamson a reason for the teenagers to leave Stu Macher's party during the film's finale, a plot point Williamson had been struggling to formulate. The language used by Himbry and his aggressive actions towards the students were among several reasons why the film's production was forced to leave Santa Rosa High School: the school board found the film's content unacceptable and did not want it filmed there.
Randy Meeks is a Woodsboro teenager. He is a friend of Sidney Prescott, for whom he has romantic feelings, and is an avid fan of horror movies. He uses his knowledge of horror film plots and clichés to define the series of murders that occur in Scream, Scream 2 and Scream 3. In Scream he is shot by Billy Loomis but survives. In Scream 2 he attends the fictional Windsor College with Sidney, studying film. When a new series of murders begins, Randy taunts the killer over the phone, mocking Billy Loomis' own killings in the previous film. During this call, the killer drags him into a van and stabs him to death. It is later revealed that Mrs. Loomis, Billy's mother, killed Randy out of anger at his insults to her son. Randy appears posthumously in Scream 3 in a recorded video, in which he explains to Sidney the "rules" concerning the latest killer.
In the published screenplay for Scream, an alternate ending had Randy (rather than Sidney) kill Billy before asking Sidney out on a date. Before a script leak forced the rewriting of parts of the Scream 2 screenplay, Randy was to be Gale Weathers' cameraman rather than a student as shown in the finished film. His death, however, remained the same. Craven and Ehren Kruger considered bringing Randy back in Scream 3, revealing him to have survived his attack in Scream 2 but abandoned the idea as too unrealistic.
Casting for Randy was contested between Kennedy and Breckin Meyer
. The production team favored Kennedy, as they believed he had certain qualities that made him more suitable than Meyer for the role. Kennedy, however, had had no major roles prior to Scream, and Dimension Films
, the studio producing the films, was eager to have a more prominent actor in the production alongside the other well-known stars such as Barrymore and Cox. The production team itself, however, was adamant that Kennedy was the best choice and fought successfully to keep him in.
Sidney Prescott is a Woodsboro teenager. In Scream, a year after the murder of her mother Maureen, she is stalked by a killer, later revealed to be her boyfriend Billy Loomis and his friend Stu Macher. These two prove to have been Maureen's murderers, Billy being motivated by Maureen's affair with his father, which caused his mother to leave home. Sidney kills both of them in self-defense. In Scream 2, while attending college, she again becomes the target of a masked killer, this time her boyfriend's friend Mickey and the mother of Billy Loomis, seeking revenge for the death of her son. Once more Sidney manages to survive the attempts on her life. During Scream 3 she is drawn to Hollywood by yet another killer. She discovers that this one is her half-brother Roman Bridger, who wants to kill her out of anger at his abandonment by Maureen. In Scream 4 she returns to Woodsboro to promote her new self-help book about overcoming the tragedies of her life, but is targeted once again by a new Ghostface.
In the fictional films within a film "Stab" and "Stab 2", based on the murders, Sidney is portrayed by Tori Spelling
as herself. In Stab 3 she is portrayed by fictional actress Angelina Tyler, played by Emily Mortimer
.
Neve Campbell won the Saturn Award for Best Actress in 1997 for her role as Sidney Prescott in Scream and the MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance
in 1998 for her role in Scream 2. When she was cast in Scream, Campbell was starring in the television drama series Party of Five
. It was previously unheard of to cast an established television actress in a horror film, but, following the success of this casting and that of Courteney Cox, the practice became common in many later horror films. Craven opined that their presence helped raise the profile of Scream and attract a large female audience.
Steven ("Steve") Orth is a Woodsboro teenager and the boyfriend of Casey Becker. He is captured and held hostage by Ghostface, who keeps him bound to a chair outside Casey's home. Casey is made to answer horror-film trivia questions to save his life. When she gets a question wrong, Steve is disemboweled and dies.
Walls auditioned for the part of Billy Loomis, but took the smaller role of Steve when Ulrich was cast as Billy.
Stuart ("Stu") Macher is a Woodsboro teenager, the boyfriend of Tatum Riley and friend of Billy Loomis. Following a series of murders in the town, starting with the killing of Stu's ex-girlfriend Casey Becker, school is suspended. Stu gives a party at his house to celebrate. At the party, Ghostface murders Tatum. Stu is revealed to be Ghostface, and Billy his accomplice. Stu cites peer pressure as his motivation. Stu tries to kill Sidney, but she drops a television on his head, electrocuting him.
Matthew Lillard has an uncredited cameo at a sorority party in Scream 2. He revealed in a 2009 interview that Stu was originally intended to be the killer in Scream 3, having survived his apparent death. From prison he was to orchestrate new Ghostface attacks on high school students, ultimately targeting Sidney. Following the Columbine High School massacre
, which took place shortly before production began, this plot was abandoned and the script was rewritten without Stu to avoid presenting violence and murder in a high school setting. Many of Lillard's notable and humorous lines in the film were improvised. He was cast by chance, after accompanying his girlfriend of the time to a separate audition in the facility where Scream auditions were also taking place. Scream casting director Lisa Beach saw Lillard and, believing he had the characteristics required of the character, asked him to audition.
Tatum Riley is a Woodsboro teenager, the best friend of Sidney Prescott, the girlfriend of Stu Macher and the sister of town Deputy Dewey Riley. After a series of murders begin in the town, Tatum attempts to protect Sidney from the ensuing media attention, since the killings occurred on the anniversary of the brutal murder of Sidney's mother. Tatum's boyfriend Stu hosts a house party, during which the killer strikes, attacking her in the garage. She tries to escape through a cat door fitted to the automatic garage door, but becomes trapped, and the killer raises the door. Tatum's neck is crushed between the rising door and the top of its frame, killing her.
Tatum's death, like those of Casey Becker and Kenny, caused conflict between director Craven and the MPAA film rating board. Craven was ultimately forced to reduce any lingering shots of her body, necessitating a quick visual cutaway once she dies. Actresses Melinda Clarke
and Rebecca Gayheart
also auditioned for the role. McGowan was cast as Tatum because the production team felt she best embodied the "spunky" nature of the character.
Casey ("Cici") Cooper is a student at Windsor College. While alone in her sorority house, Cici is attacked by Ghostface. She runs upstairs pursued by the killer, who throws her through a glass door on to a balcony and stabs her twice in the back before picking her up and throwing her over the balcony to her death. From her murder and the preceding murders of Phil Stevens and Maureen Evans, Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley deduce that the new killer is choosing targets with names similar to those of the victims of the original Ghostface killers, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher.
Sarah Michelle Gellar admitted in interviews that she signed on to Scream 2 without having read the script, on the basis of the success of the first film.
Debbie Salt is a local news reporter covering the series of murders at Windsor College. In the finale she is revealed to be Mrs. Loomis, Billy's mother, and the copycat Ghostface alongside her accomplice Mickey. Before the events of Scream, she leaves her home after learning of her husband's affair with Sidney's mother Maureen, abandoning Billy and so providing his motivation for his killing spree in Scream. After Billy's death Mrs. Loomis undertakes a physical makeover, losing weight to change her appearance. She then recruits Mickey from a website devoted to serial killers, to enact a plan for revenge against Sidney. She ultimately betrays Mickey and shoots him, claiming to have indulged his desire for fame to gain his help, while she really intends to kill Sidney and then disappear without trace. Cotton Weary intervenes and manages to save Sidney's life by shooting Mrs. Loomis through the throat, killing her.
In the original Scream 2 script, Mrs. Loomis worked with Hallie and Derek, not Mickey, though she still killed her allies. She intended to frame Cotton Weary for the murders, but he managed to stab and kill her. After the script leaked on to the Internet, it underwent rewrites that removed this ending.
Derek is a student at Windsor College, a friend of Mickey and boyfriend of Sidney Prescott. After publicly declaring his love for Sidney, he is captured by his fellow frat brothers
and restrained as a prank. During the finale, as Sidney is escaping Ghostface, she finds Derek still restrained and tries to untie him before the killer arrives. Ghostface reveals himself as Mickey and accuses Derek of being his accomplice, causing Sidney to hesitate in freeing him. After Derek threatens Mickey, Mickey shoots him through the heart, killing him.
In the original Scream 2 screenplay, Derek was one of the killers working with Mrs. Loomis and Hallie. Derek and Hallie, who were also secret lovers, shared the motivation of gaining fame for the murders when they were caught, but were both killed by Mrs. Loomis to preserve her anonymity. After the script was leaked on the Internet, it underwent rewrites, removing this ending.
Hallie is a student at Windsor College and the best friend of Sidney Prescott. When Sidney is taken into protective custody
, Hallie accompanies her, but Ghostface attacks the car in which they are traveling and murders the policemen guarding them. Ghostface hijacks their car, but crashes, rendering himself unconscious and allowing Sidney and Hallie to escape. When Sidney returns to the vehicle to discover the killer's identity, she finds him missing from the car. Ghostface leaps out at Hallie as she waits nearby for Sidney, and stabs her to death.
In the original Scream 2 screenplay, Hallie was one of the killers, working with Mrs. Loomis and Derek. She and Derek, who were also secret lovers, shared the motivation of gaining fame for the murders when they were caught, but were both killed by Mrs. Loomis to preserve her anonymity. After the script was leaked on the Internet, it underwent rewrites, removing this ending.
Joel is Gale Weathers' new cameraman. After reading Gale's book about the murders that occur in Scream, he becomes reluctant to stay and film at Windsor College. He leaves after finding the corpse of Randy Meeks.
In the original Scream 2 screenplay, Joel had a larger role as a member of Sidney Prescott's group of friends. His corpse was found during the film's finale. After this script was leaked on the Internet, it underwent rewrites, changing the role of several characters and making Joel a cameraman.
Maureen Evans and her boyfriend Phil Stevens are students at Windsor College. They attend a sneak preview of the film "Stab", during which Phil goes to the bathroom and hears strange whimpering from the next stall. He presses his ear against the divider to listen closer, but a blade is forced through the divider, stabbing Phil in the ear and killing him. The killer, wearing a Ghostface costume, returns to the screening and sits beside Maureen, before mortally stabbing her. The audience believe her to be part of a publicity stunt, until she falls dead in front of the cinema screen.
Their deaths are satirized in Scary Movie
.
Mickey is a student at Windsor College and Derek's best friend. Like Randy Meeks from Scream, he shows an avid interest in horror films and sequels. In the finale he is revealed as the current Ghostface, with his accomplice Mrs. Loomis. He kills Sidney's boyfriend Derek in front of her. Mickey states that he carried out the killings with the intention of getting caught, believing he would receive fame for his deeds and from the resulting trial, and intending to blame film violence for influencing him. Contrary to Mickey's desires, however, Mrs. Loomis intends to disappear after the killings; so she shoots him, seemingly fatally. After Mrs. Loomis' defeat, though, Mickey leaps to his feet to attack Sidney, but is finally killed by Gale and Sidney.
In the original Scream 2 script, Mickey was murdered by Ghostface while trying to save Sidney, but this was changed in rewrites after the original script was leaked online.
Rina Reynolds. Baby Roman was given up for adoption, but as an adult he found Maureen, who rejected him. In revenge for this, Roman convinced Billy Loomis to kill her. Sidney and Roman fight, and Sidney stabs him before Dewey Riley shoots him through the head and kills him.
Angelina Tyler is the actress who plays the role of Sidney Prescott in "Stab 3". To win this role, she took part in a talent competition, but she later reveals that she slept with John Milton, the producer of the "Stab" films, to secure the job. While attending the birthday party of Roman Bridger, she is attacked and murdered by Ghostface.
In an early version of the script, Angelina was a second Ghostface, Roman's lover and accomplice, and a former classmate of Sidney from Woodsboro, originally named Angie Crick. Her motivation was stated as her idolizing Sidney and wanting her fame and attention, thus taking on the role of Sidney in the "Stab" film. The idea was later scrapped.
Christine is Cotton Weary's girlfriend. In the opening of Scream 3, she is stalked by the current Ghostface, who uses a voice synthesizer to sound like Cotton, convincing her that Cotton is behind the mask. When the real Cotton arrives, she believes him to be Ghostface and attacks him, while the real Ghostface approaches her from behind and stabs her to death.
Mark Kincaid is a detective investigating the most recent Ghostface murders. He displays an interest in horror films, and in the history of Sidney Prescott. When Sidney is forced to confront the killer, Kincaid is concerned for her and secretly follows her. Kincaid is attacked and severely wounded by Ghostface. After Ghostface is killed, he and Sidney enter into a romantic relationship.
Jennifer Jolie is the actress playing the role of Gale Weathers in "Stab 3". She is dating Dewey Riley. After a new series of Ghostface murders, Jennifer believes she may be the next victim and starts following the real Gale, hoping the killer will choose to kill her instead. While attending a birthday party for Roman Bridger she is attacked and killed by Ghostface.
Parker Posey was nominated in 2000 for an MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
for her role as Jennifer Jolie, losing to Adam Sandler
, who won it for his performance in Big Daddy (1999).
John Milton is the producer of the three fictional "Stab" movies. He is revealed to have known Maureen Prescott in her youth, when she was an aspiring actress using the pseudonym Rina Reynolds. It was during one of Milton's parties in the 1970s that Rina was gang-raped and became pregnant with Roman Bridger. Ghostface, revealed as Roman, kidnaps Milton and murders him in front of Sidney, blaming him for turning their mother into a "slut".
Martha Meeks is Randy Meeks' younger sister. After learning of the new Ghostface murders, she meets with Sidney Prescott to give her a tape recorded by Randy prior to his death in Scream 2, which contains his advice for surviving the concluding chapter of a trilogy and the third series of Ghostface murders.
Roman Bridger is the director of "Stab 3: Return to Woodsboro". During his birthday party at John Milton's mansion, he is found in the basement, apparently murdered. Later, when Sidney is confronted by Ghostface, the latter is unmasked as Roman, who has faked his death to eliminate himself as a suspect. Roman tells Sidney that he is her half-brother, relating the circumstances of his conception and later rejection by Maureen and how he had convinced Billy Loomis to murder Maureen. Believing that Sidney has the life and fame that he was denied, Roman now tries to kill her, but in the end he himself is killed by Dewey Riley.
Sarah Darling is an actress starring in "Stab 3". She receives a phone call from someone claiming to be Roman, the director of that film, but after the call turns sinister she attempts to conceal herself among a set of film prop
Ghostface costumes. However, one of the costumes is being worn by the killer, who attacks and murders Sarah, leaving a picture of the young Maureen Prescott on her corpse.
Steven Stone is Jennifer Jolie's bodyguard. While guarding her home, he inspects Dewey Riley's trailer, which is kept on her land. While there he receives a phone call from someone claiming to be Dewey, who is later revealed to be Ghostface using a voice synthesizer to imitate Dewey's voice. Stone is attacked and killed by Ghostface.
Tom Prinze is an actor in "Stab 3", playing the role of Dewey Riley. At night in Jennifer Jolie's house, Tom, Jennifer, Gale and Dewey are attacked by Ghostface. The killer begins faxing them pages of script detailing the immediate events. As there is a power cut in the house, Tom attempts to illuminate the pages with his lighter, unaware of gas leaking into the house, causing an explosion that kills him.
Tyson Fox is a fictional actor in "Stab 3", playing the role of Ricky, the "Stab 3" equivalent of Randy Meeks. While attending the birthday party of Roman Bridger, he is attacked, stabbed, and thrown over a balcony to his death.
Anthony Perkins and Ross Hoss are deputies in the Woodsboro police, who are assigned to guard Jill and Sidney after threats from Ghostface. While patrolling the grounds of Jill's home, they are attacked and stabbed to death by Ghostface.
Charlie Walker is a Woodsboro teenager, friend of Robbie Mercer, love interest of Kirby Reed and an avid fan of horror films, particularly the "Stab" series. He runs a film club with Robbie, and the pair are recruited by Gale to help profile the killer. He hosts a large-scale viewing of the seven "Stab" films in a remote area, and later attends an after-party at Kirby's house. Ghostface attacks the party and Charlie is captured and bound to a chair. Kirby is forced to answer horror film trivia questions to save his life. Believing she has won, Kirby frees Charlie, but he stabs her in the stomach and confesses to being the killer, angry with her for not returning his affections in the years they had known each other, before leaving her for dead. Charlie is revealed to have an accomplice, Jill, with whom he is in a romantic relationship. Charlie admits to aiding Jill in order to become the new generation Randy Meeks to her Sidney Prescott. Jill instead betrays him and stabs him through the heart, killing him.
Jenny Randall and Marnie Cooper are students at Woodsboro High School. After watching "Stab 7", Jenny pranks Marnie by pretending to be Ghostface. However, Marnie is then attacked by the real Ghostface, who murders her. Ghostface then chases Jenny through the house, wounding her and crushing her back as she tries to crawl under an automatic garage door, before stabbing her to death.
Jill Roberts is a student at Woodsboro High School, cousin of Sidney Prescott and daughter of Kate Roberts. Before the events of the film, she ends her relationship with her boyfriend Trevor Sheldon after he cheats on her. She and her friends, Kirby and Olivia, are targeted by the new Ghostface, resulting in their gaining police protection. Jill sneaks away from the protection to Kirby's house for a party. Ghostface attacks the party, murdering some of the attendees before being revealed as Charlie Walker. Following this reveal, Charlie and his accomplice, unmasked as Jill, capture Sidney. Envious of Sidney's fame, Jill wants to become the new "Sidney Prescott" by recreating the events that made Sidney famous. Jill murders Trevor for cheating on her, betrays Charlie by stabbing him through the heart, and stabs Sidney in the stomach. Believing that the witnesses to her crimes are all dead, Jill plants evidence framing Trevor and Charlie for the murder spree. Jill then intentionally harms herself to appear to be the lone survivor of the Ghostface attacks. After being taken to hospital, Jill discovers that Sidney has survived her wounds. Jill again attempts to kill Sidney, but Sidney, aided by Dewey, Gale, and Judy Hicks, shoots Jill in the chest, killing her.
Ashley Greene
was considered for the role of Jill before Emma Roberts was cast.
Judy Hicks is Deputy Sheriff of Woodsboro under Sheriff Dewey Riley and a former classmate of Sidney Prescott. She idolizes Dewey but dislikes his wife Gale. Judy saves Gale from being shot by Jill. She is then shot herself, but is unharmed, as she is wearing a bulletproof vest.
Lake Bell
was given the role of Judy, but she dropped out only four days before filming was to begin, citing scheduling conflicts.
Kate Roberts is the mother of Jill Roberts, aunt to Sidney Prescott, and sister to Maureen Prescott. After Kate and Sidney are attacked by Ghostface, Kate, leaning against a door, is stabbed in the back through a mail slot and dies.
Lauren Graham
was originally cast in the role of Kate Roberts but left the production a few days into principal photography
, being replaced with McDonnell.
Kirby Reed is a Woodsboro teenager, friend of Jill Roberts and Olivia Morris, love interest of Charlie Walker and an avid fan of horror films. While entertaining friends at a party, she begins to pursue Charlie romantically. Ghostface attacks the party and she retreats into the basement with Sidney. Ghostface captures Charlie and forces Kirby to play a game to save his life. When she believes she has won, she unties Charlie, who then stabs her in the stomach and reveals that he is the killer, blaming her because she had not returned his affections sooner, and leaving her for dead.
Olivia Morris is a Woodsboro teenager and a friend of Jill Roberts and Kirby Reed. Following a new series of Ghostface murders, she is attacked by Ghostface in her home and disemboweled while her friends are forced to watch from the neighboring house.
Rebecca Walters is Sidney Prescott's assistant and publicist, who helps arrange Sidney's visit to Woodsboro to promote her book. Sidney fires her after Rebecca attempts to capitalize on the new Ghostface murders to increase sales of Sidney's book. While returning to her car, Rebecca is taunted and attacked by Ghostface. She is stabbed to death and her body is thrown from the top of a parking garage, landing on a news van in front of a crowd of reporters.
Robbie Mercer is a Woodsboro teenager, a friend of Charlie Walker and an avid fan of horror films, running a film club with Charlie. While attending Kirby Reed's party, he is attacked by Ghostface and fatally wounded, living long enough to warn Sidney, Jill, and Kirby before dying.
Trevor Sheldon is a Woodsboro teenager and the ex-boyfriend of Jill Roberts, who ended her relationship with him after he took her virginity and then cheated on her. He makes repeated attempts to earn her forgiveness and continue their relationship. After Ghostface's victims receive calls from Trevor's cellphone, which he claims to have lost, he becomes a suspect in the murders. He attends Kirby's house party, claiming to have been invited by phone, but the guests deny responsibility. When the true Ghostface killers are unmasked as Charlie and Jill, they reveal a bound Trevor, whom they plan to frame for their crimes. Jill shoots him in the crotch for cheating on her, before executing him by shooting him in the head.
Tortorella auditioned five times to secure the role of Trevor by reenacting a scene from Scream where the character of Billy Loomis reveals he is one of the killers.
nomination. The following year she went on to win the 1998 Best Female Performance for Scream 2 and received a second nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Actress, losing to Jodie Foster
for Contact
(1997). She received a third and final Best Female Performance nomination from MTV in 2000 for the character in Scream 3, but lost to fellow Scream alum Sarah Michelle Gellar
for Cruel Intentions
(2000).
Barrymore and Ulrich also received Saturn Award nominations in 1997 for Scream, for Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively. Although critical of the film itself, Variety
singled out Campbell and Ulrich for praise as "charismatic", liking Cox's playing against type as the ambitious reporter Gale and saying the film had a "strong ensemble cast".
John Muir, author of Wes Craven: The Art of Horror, was critical of the new characters introduced in Scream 2 – Derek, Joel, Cici Cooper, Hallie, Lois, Murphy and Mickey – stating that they never attained the same depth of character as Scream characters such as Tatum Riley, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, or even minor characters like Principal Himbry. Muir cited the sequel's focus on increased body count
s and violence as the cause of this discrepancy in the quality of the two films' characters. He added that, as a result, Scream 2 lacked the same mystery or intrigue as the original, as the killer could be any character, purely because the audience is never provided with enough information to form an opinion of them. Roger Ebert agreed with this criticism, saying "there is no way to guess who's doing the killing, and everyone who seems suspicious is (almost) sure to be innocent."
However, Muir praised the development of the surviving characters of Scream, labelling Gale Weathers, Dewey Riley, Sidney Prescott, and Randy Meeks as "beloved" and claiming that the death of Randy was the most devastating moment of the sequel and a "bad move". Varietys Leonard Klady was more appreciative of some of the new cast, calling Laurie Metcalf and Liev Schreiber "standout" talent. Cox received a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in Scream 2, but lost to Gloria Stuart
for Titanic
(1997).
On the characters of Scream 3, Roger Ebert was critical, stating "[the characters] are so thin, they're transparent", but he praised Neve Campbell's appearance as Sidney Prescott, saying "The camera loves her. She could become a really big star and then giggle at clips from this film at her AFI tribute". The New York Times praised her role equally highly, saying "She has developed as an actress; when her eyes go dark with concern and fear, she is nerve-racked and tormented, not play-acting." Harry Knowles
of Ain't It Cool News
was less complimentary about Campbell, saying "She adds ZERO coolness. Zero talent. And Zero charisma to [Scream 3]." The BBC
's Tom Coates and Elvis Mitchell of the New York Times praised Parker Posey
's character, with Mitchell saying "[Jennifer Jolie] alone makes the picture worth seeing. Dizzy and nakedly – hilariously – ambitious, she's so flighty she seems to be levitating." So well received was Posey's character that she received an MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
nomination in 2000 for the role, although she lost to Adam Sandler
for Big Daddy (1999). Mitchell also praised the characters of Sarah Darling (McCarthy), Tyson Fox (Richmond) and Steven Stone (Warbuton), calling them "assets" to the film. In 2001, as part of the American Film Institute
's AFI 100 Years... series
, the character of Ghostface
became one of the four hundred nominees in the "100 Heroes and Villains" category.
On the characters of Scream 4, Film 4 complimented the new additions to the cast, isolating Robbie Mercer and Charlie Walker as the best of the new characters, while the Los Angeles Times
called Panettiere's film-nerd Kirby Reed "feisty", labeling her the most "intriguing" new addition to the series.
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
's Scream series
Scream (film series)
Scream is a series of American horror slasher films created by Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven. The films star Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette. The series has grossed over $600 million in worldwide box-office receipts and consists, to date, of four motion pictures...
of slasher films features a large cast of characters created primarily by Kevin Williamson with contributions from Craven and Ehren Kruger
Ehren Kruger
-Life and career:Kruger was raised in Alexandria, Virginia, and attended college at New York University. He attended the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, graduating in 1990....
. The series focuses on the character of Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell
Neve Campbell
Neve Adrianne Campbell is a Canadian actress. After beginning her career on stage, and on numerous commercials, she starred on the Canadian television series Catwalk. She then rose to international fame on the Golden Globe-winning 1990s television series Party of Five, playing the role of teenager...
) and a succession of murderers who adopt a ghost-like disguise, dubbed Ghostface
Ghostface (Scream)
Ghostface is a fictional identity adopted by the main antagonists in the Scream series of slasher films. The character is voiced by Roger L. Jackson regardless of who is behind the mask...
, to taunt and attempt to kill her. The series comprises four films: Scream
Scream (film)
Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette...
(1996), Scream 2
Scream 2
Scream 2 is a 1997 American slasher film created and written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven, starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy and Liev Schreiber, released on December 12, 1997 as the second installment in the Scream film series...
(1997), Scream 3
Scream 3
Scream 3 is a 2000 American slasher film created by Kevin Williamson, directed by Wes Craven and written by Ehren Kruger, starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette, released on February 4, 2000 as the third, and originally, concluding installment in the Scream film series...
(2000) and Scream 4
Scream 4
Scream 4 is a 2011 American slasher horror film and the fourth installment in the Scream film series. Directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream and Scream 2, the film stars an ensemble cast which includes David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Emma Roberts,...
(2011).
Sidney is accompanied in each film by news reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox
Courteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
) and town Deputy Sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette
David Arquette
David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
). Sidney is initially hostile to Gale, because Gale has written a book about the murder of Sidney's mother, but they grow closer in each successive film as they survive Ghostface's murder attempts. In Scream 2 Gale and Dewey initiate a relationship, which leads to a marriage proposal at the end of Scream 3. In Scream 4, eleven years later, Sidney has written a self-help
Self-help
Self-help, or self-improvement, is a self-guided improvement—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. There are many different self-help movements and each has its own focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents and in some cases, leaders...
book about her experiences, while Dewey has become a Sheriff and is in a strained marriage with Gale, who is struggling to write a new novel.
Each film provides a motive and grounds for suspicion for several characters, concealing the identity of the true killer or killers until the finale, in which their identities and motivations are revealed. In Scream the fictional town of Woodsboro is besieged by a masked killer who focuses on Sidney, revealed in the finale as Sidney's boyfriend Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich
Skeet Ulrich
Bryan Ray Trout , best known as Skeet Ulrich, is an American actor best known for starring in the CBS drama Jericho as Jake Green and for portraying Billy Loomis in Scream...
), aided by his friend Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard
Matthew Lillard
Matthew Lyn Lillard is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his roles as Stu Macher in Scream, Stevo in SLC Punk , and Shaggy Rogers in the Scooby-Doo film series and the Animated reboot series.-Early life:Lillard was born in Lansing, Michigan, and grew up in Tustin, California...
). Billy admits to being responsible for the murder of Sidney's mother Maureen Prescott, to take revenge for an affair Maureen had with Billy's father that caused his mother to "abandon" him. In Scream 2 copycat killers again stalk Sidney and her friends, before being revealed as Sidney's friend Mickey (Timothy Olyphant
Timothy Olyphant
Timothy David Olyphant is an American actor whose notable roles in television drama series include Deadwood as Seth Bullock, Justified as Raylan Givens, The Office as Danny Cordray, and Damages as Wes Krulik...
) and Billy Loomis' mother (Laurie Metcalf
Laurie Metcalf
Lauren Elizabeth "Laurie" Metcalf is an American actress. She is widely known for her performance as Jackie Harris on the ABC sitcom Roseanne, Mary Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, the voice of Mrs. Davis in the Toy Story film series and as Debbie Salt in Scream 2...
). In Scream 3 another killer hunts Sidney, claiming to have knowledge of Sidney's tragic past, prior to the events of the original film. The killer is revealed to be Roman Bridger (Scott Foley
Scott Foley
Scott Kellerman Foley is an American actor. He is known for roles in television shows such as The Unit and Felicity, and in films such as Scream 3...
), Sidney's half-brother, who wants revenge for his rejection and abandonment by their mother. Roman is found to be responsible for convincing Billy to kill Maureen before the events of Scream, setting in motion the events that occur in each successive film. In Scream 4 a killer appears when Sidney returns to Woodsboro on the fifteenth anniversary of the original killings. This killer is revealed to be horror film fan Charlie Walker (Rory Culkin
Rory Culkin
Rory Hugh Culkin is an American actor and is the younger brother of actors Macaulay Culkin and Kieran Culkin.-Personal life:...
), with Sidney's cousin Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts
Emma Roberts
Emma Rose Roberts is an American actress, model and singer. She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of Julia Roberts. Roberts became known for her role as Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous. She released her debut album, which also served as the show's...
) as his accomplice.
The Scream series has received several awards, including a Saturn Award for Best Actress and an MTV Movie Award for Best Performance for Neve Campbell and a Saturn Award for Best Horror Film
Saturn Award for Best Horror Film
The following are a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Horror Film:-References:...
for Scream.
Scream
ScreamScream (film)
Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette...
is the first film in the Scream series. One year prior to the events of the film, Maureen Prescott is brutally murdered, apparently by Cotton Weary. During the film, the fictional town of Woodsboro is again attacked by a murderer, who particularly targets Sidney Prescott, Maureen's daughter. Deputy Sheriff Dewey Riley investigates the murders, while news reporter Gale Weathers follows the story. Sidney, her boyfriend Billy Loomis and their friends Tatum Riley, Stu Macher and Randy Meeks try to survive the attacks. The killer is revealed as both Billy and Stu, who admit to having killed Maureen and framed Cotton for the act. Sidney then kills them both.
Billy Loomis
- Portrayed by Skeet UlrichSkeet UlrichBryan Ray Trout , best known as Skeet Ulrich, is an American actor best known for starring in the CBS drama Jericho as Jake Green and for portraying Billy Loomis in Scream...
- Appeared in: Scream
Billy Loomis is a Woodsboro teenager, the boyfriend of Sidney Prescott and an avid fan of horror films. Following a series of murders, Billy becomes a suspect when he is found at Sidney's house with a cellphone shortly after she is taunted on the phone and attacked by a masked killer. Evidence is discovered that points to other characters, and Billy is removed as a suspect. During a party at Stu Macher's home, Billy and Sidney are reconciled and have sex, before Billy is stabbed by Ghostface. Feigning injury, Billy tries to help Sidney, but obtains a gun, reveals himself as the killer and shoots Randy Meeks. Stu confesses to being Billy's accomplice, and the pair admit to having murdered Sidney's mother, Maureen Prescott, one year previously, after she had had an affair with Billy's father, causing Billy's mother to "abandon" him. With help from Gale, Sidney manages to kill both Billy and Stu.
In Scream 2 Billy's mother seeks revenge on Sidney for Billy's death. In Scream 3 Roman Bridger reveals that he provided the evidence of his father's affair to Billy and gave him advice on how to kill Maureen.
In "Stab", the fictional film within a film based on the murders, Billy is portrayed by Luke Wilson
Luke Wilson
Luke Cunningham Wilson is an American film actor known for his roles in Old School, Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums, Legally Blonde, Idiocracy and Death at a Funeral.-Early life:...
. The character is parodied in the film Scary Movie
Scary Movie
Scary Movie is a 2000 comedy-parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, as part of Warner Bros. Entertainment. It is an American dark comedy which heavily parodies the horror, slasher, and mystery genres...
as Bobby Prinze, portrayed by Jon Abrahams
Jon Abrahams
Jon Avery Abrahams is an American film and television actor.-Life and career:Abrahams attended Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn....
.
Kevin Patrick Walls and Justin Whalin
Justin Whalin
Justin Garrett Whalin is an American actor best known for his role as Jimmy Olsen in the American television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.-Early life:...
were final contenders for the role of Billy Loomis before it was won by Skeet Ulrich. Walls was instead cast in the minor role of Steve Orth.
Casey Becker
- Portrayed by Drew BarrymoreDrew BarrymoreDrew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
- Appeared in: Scream
Casey Becker is a Woodsboro teenager and the former girlfriend of Stu Macher. After receiving a taunting and threatening phone call, she is ordered to answer horror film trivia questions to save the life of her boyfriend, Steve. When she answers incorrectly, Steve is murdered and she is asked another question to save her own life. When she refuses to answer, Ghostface chases her down and kills her, leaving her hanged from a tree and disemboweled. In "Stab", the fictional film within a film based on the murders, Casey is played by Heather Graham.
Barrymore was already a successful actress when she appeared in Scream, at a time when casting a big name for a horror film was uncommon. She was originally signed to play the role of Sidney after reading the script and approaching the production team herself, but her schedule eventually meant that she no longer had time to fill the role, and she volunteered for the smaller part of Casey Becker. Like her co-stars Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, her appearance is credited by Craven for raising the profile of the film and helping to attract a larger female audience.
Several scenes leading to Casey's eventual death gave rise to disputes between Craven and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the film rating board, who raised concerns over the violence and intensity of the scene. When she is initially stabbed in the chest by Ghostface, Craven insisted that he had only been able to make one successful take of the scene, so that no substitution was possible; he was, in fact, lying. The scene in which her corpse is hung from a tree and disemboweled was heavily edited: Craven was forced to remove all still shots of the body, and the scene itself was sped up to reduce its time on screen.
Cotton Weary
- Portrayed by Liev SchreiberLiev SchreiberIsaac Liev Schreiber , commonly known as Liev Schreiber, is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. He became known during the late 1990s and early 2000s, having initially appeared in several independent films, and later mainstream Hollywood films, including the Scream trilogy of...
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3
Cotton Weary was the original suspect in the rape and murder of Maureen Prescott, Sidney's mother. He was identified by Sidney, who found her mother's body after seeing someone she believed to be Cotton leaving her home. In Scream it is revealed that Maureen was having an affair with Cotton before she was murdered by Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, who then planted evidence to frame Cotton. In Scream 2 Cotton attempts to gain fame from his incarceration and exoneration for Maureen's murder, traveling to Windsor College to convince Sidney to agree to an interview. He later saves Sidney when she is about to be murdered by Mrs. Loomis, one of the Ghostface killers in Scream 2.
In Scream 3 Cotton has become famous for his exploits, hosting his own talk show. He and his girlfriend Christine are attacked by the latest Ghostface, who demands to know the whereabouts of Sidney Prescott after she goes into hiding. When Cotton refuses to tell, Ghostface kills him.
In the original Scream 2 script, Cotton was captured by the real Ghostface killers, Derek, Hallie and Mrs. Loomis. After Mrs. Loomis kills Derek and Hallie, she intends to frame Cotton for the recent murder spree, but he attacks and stabs her to death. He then tries to take revenge on Sidney for his false imprisonment, noting that the evidence points to him being an innocent victim. He and Sidney stab each other, but their fates have not been revealed. Following the leak of the script on the Internet, extensive rewrites were undertaken, changing this plot.
Dewey Riley
- Portrayed by David ArquetteDavid ArquetteDavid Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4
Dwight ("Dewey") Riley is the deputy sheriff of Woodsboro, the brother of Tatum Riley and friend of Sidney Prescott. After a series of murders, he helps lead the investigation, while pursuing a romance with Gale Weathers. He is stabbed by Ghostface during the finale of Scream, but survives. Dewey returns in Scream 2, suffering from a limp and weakened arm caused by nerve damage as a result of his stabbing. He travels to Windsor College to help Sidney after a series of copycat Ghostface murders. He is attacked and stabbed repeatedly by the current Ghostface but again survives. In Scream 3 he aids an investigation into a new Ghostface, later revealed to be Roman Bridger. Dewey shoots Roman in the head, killing him. In the aftermath he asks Gale to marry him, and she accepts. In Scream 4 Dewey has married Gale and returned with her to Woodsboro, becoming the new Sheriff. After a new series of Ghostface murders on the anniversary of Billy's and Stu's spree, Dewey again investigates. By now his relationship with Gale is strained, but, after Gale is badly injured by Ghostface, they resolve their differences.
Dewey had been intended to die in the finale of Scream. However, Craven filmed an additional scene, in which Dewey survives and is placed in an ambulance, in case test audiences reacted positively to the character. When they did, this scene was added to the film.
Arquette was originally brought in to audition for the role of Billy Loomis in Scream, but preferred the character of Dewey and requested to audition for that instead. Despite resistance from the production team, who were concerned that the role was described as "hunky
Beefcake
Beefcake is a term denoting the use of nude or semi-nude male bodies. It can refer to a genre or a person. It often is used to denote male sexual attractiveness stemming from physical build but the definition has expanded to include anyone interested in physical fitness, bodybuilding and weight...
", rather than the younger, goofier approach of Arquette, Craven appreciated the idea and cast him in the role.
In "Stab", the fictional film within a film based on the Ghostface murders, and again in "Stab 3", Dewey is portrayed by David Schwimmer
David Schwimmer
David Lawrence Schwimmer is an American actor and director of television and film. He was born in New York City, and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was two. He began his acting career performing in school plays at Beverly Hills High School. In 1988, he graduated from Northwestern...
and fictional actor Tom Prinze respectively.
Gale Weathers
- Portrayed by Courteney CoxCourteney CoxCourteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4
Gale Weathers is a news reporter for the fictional news show "Top Story". Prior to the events of the films, she was involved in coverage of the murder of Maureen Prescott and the resulting trial of Cotton Weary, during which she criticized the testimony of Sidney Prescott. In Scream she returns to Woodsboro to cover the current murder spree. During the finale of the film, her cameraman, Kenny, is murdered, and she is left for dead after a car crash. She is later revealed to be alive and witnesses the confession of Billy Loomis and Stu Macher to their role in the killings. She helps Sidney defeat Billy and, after the events of the film, writes a new book about the Ghostface murders. In Scream 2 she travels to Windsor College to cover the current murder spree. She witnesses the apparent death of Dewey before she herself is shot by Mickey, one of the killers. She survives and helps Sidney to kill Mickey. In Scream 3 she is shown to have written another book, this time about the Windsor College killings. She travels to Hollywood to aid the investigation of a new series of murders there. At the end of the film, Dewey asks Gale to marry him, and she accepts. In Scream 4, Gale has married Dewey, becoming Gale Weathers-Riley, but their relationship is strained. She has written a series of novels about fictional Ghostface murders; these have been turned into new films in the fictional "Stab" series. She attempts to reignite her journalistic career by investigating the new murders, but is attacked and badly wounded by the new Ghostface. She survives and resolves her differences with Dewey.
In the fictional "Stab" series of films within a film, Gale is portrayed by fictional actress Jennifer Jolie.
Courteney Cox was starring in the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
when she was cast in Scream, marking a new trend: casting established and popular actors and actresses in horror films. Craven opined that her presence, like Neve Campbell's, helped raise the profile of Scream and attract a large female audience. Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
and Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...
were the original choices for the role of Gale. Cox was not even considered at first, as it was not believed that she could play Gale's selfish, abusive and aggressive character after playing the softer, nicer role of Monica Geller
Monica Geller
Monica E. Geller Bing is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Courteney Cox. Monica is known as the "Mother Hen" of the group and her Greenwich Village apartment was one of the group's main gathering places. She was also known for her obsessive personality...
in Friends. Cox, however, was eager to play a "bitch" character, specifically to contrast with her Friends character, and repeatedly lobbied the production team until she won the role.
Ghostface
- Portrayed by Roger L. JacksonRoger L. JacksonRoger Labon Jackson is an American voice actor. He is best known for voicing the killer Ghostface in the Scream films, leaving him to keep an unknown identity to withhold the mystery of Ghostface...
(voice), Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Laurie MetcalfLaurie MetcalfLauren Elizabeth "Laurie" Metcalf is an American actress. She is widely known for her performance as Jackie Harris on the ABC sitcom Roseanne, Mary Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, the voice of Mrs. Davis in the Toy Story film series and as Debbie Salt in Scream 2...
, Timothy OlyphantTimothy OlyphantTimothy David Olyphant is an American actor whose notable roles in television drama series include Deadwood as Seth Bullock, Justified as Raylan Givens, The Office as Danny Cordray, and Damages as Wes Krulik...
, Scott FoleyScott FoleyScott Kellerman Foley is an American actor. He is known for roles in television shows such as The Unit and Felicity, and in films such as Scream 3...
, Emma RobertsEmma RobertsEmma Rose Roberts is an American actress, model and singer. She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of Julia Roberts. Roberts became known for her role as Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous. She released her debut album, which also served as the show's...
, Rory CulkinRory CulkinRory Hugh Culkin is an American actor and is the younger brother of actors Macaulay Culkin and Kieran Culkin.-Personal life:... - Appeared in: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4
Ghostface is a fictional identity, created in Scream by Billy Loomis and Stu Macher to conduct a murder spree in the town of Woodsboro. The costume they use is a generic Halloween costume, officially called "Father Death", that allows anyone to adopt the identity and makes the killers difficult to identify. The killers taunt their victims on the phone before attacking, using a voice changer to disguise their true identity. While in costume, the character is voiced by voice actor Roger L. Jackson. The Ghostface identity is adopted by other killers after the death of Billy and Stu. In Scream 2 it is taken by Billy's mother and her accomplice, Mickey. In Scream 3 it is taken by Sidney's half-brother, Roman Bridger. In Scream 4, on the anniversary of Billy and Stu's murder spree, a new Ghostface emerges, revealed to be Sidney's cousin Jill Roberts and her friend Charlie Walker. In the finale of each film, the current Ghostface killers confront Sidney and explain their motivation for stalking her.
Jackson, who voices Ghostface in all the Scream films, was chosen for the part after weeks of local casting in Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
. He was intended only as a temporary voice, to be replaced in the post production phase of the film with a dubbed
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
voice, but his contribution was retained because Craven felt he imbued the voice with a truly evil malevolence. He and the casts of the films were intentionally prevented from meeting for most if not all of each film's production, to discourage the cast from putting a face to the voice, and to make him seem more menacing when interacting with the characters on the phone.
Kenny
- Portrayed by W. Earl BrownW. Earl BrownW. Earl Brown is an American character actor who has appeared in many mainstream film and television projects. He is perhaps best known as Dan Dority on the HBO series Deadwood...
- Appeared in: Scream
Kenny is Gale Weathers' cameraman on the fictional news show "Top Story". In Scream Kenny accompanies Gale as she reports on the series of murders in Woodsboro. After seeing on a hidden camera that Randy Meeks is about to be murdered, he leaves his van to help, and his throat is slit by Ghostface.
Kenny's neck being slashed was one of the several scenes that had to be toned down by Craven at the behest of the MPAA in order to avoid the restrictive NC-17 rating. The scene was shortened because the MPAA felt that Kenny's expression after his throat was cut was too disturbing.
Maureen Prescott
- Portrayed by Lynn McRee
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream 3
Maureen Prescott is the mother of Sidney Prescott and wife of Neil Prescott. She is murdered before the events of the Scream films. She conducted several extra-marital affairs, including those with Cotton Weary and Hank Loomis, the father of Billy Loomis. Cotton was arrested and convicted of her murder. In Scream a killer taunts Sidney on the phone about her mother's murder; this killer is later identified as Sidney's boyfriend Billy Loomis and his friend Stu. Billy reveals that it was he and Stu who murdered Maureen and framed Cotton for it. In Scream 3 the current Ghostface uses Maureen's synthesized voice and image to taunt Sidney and lure her out of hiding. The killer is unveiled as Roman Bridger, who reveals that he is Maureen's son and Sidney's half-brother. For a two-year period in her youth, before she met Sidney's father, Maureen had traveled to Hollywood to become an actress under the pseudonym Rina Reynolds. During this time she was gang-raped and became pregnant with Roman, whom she gave up for adoption. When the adult Roman found her, she denied she had been Rina and rejected him. Roman then proceeded to film her affairs and showed the footage to Billy before convincing him to kill Maureen, starting the chain of events that occur throughout the Scream films. Scream 4 introduces Maureen's sister Kate Roberts and her niece Jill Roberts.
Neil Prescott
- Portrayed by Lawrence Hecht
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream 3
Neil Prescott is the father of Sidney Prescott and widower of Maureen Prescott. In Scream he leaves Woodsboro on business and later disappears without trace, raising suspicions that he may be the perpetrator of a series of murders in the town. It is revealed in the finale that he was kidnapped by the real killers, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, who intended to frame him for their crimes. Neil is saved by his daughter. He appears briefly in Scream 3, commenting on Sidney's withdrawal from her friends and life.
Principal Himbry
- Portrayed by Henry WinklerHenry WinklerHenry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days...
- Appeared in: Scream
Principal Himbry is the principal of Woodsboro High School, attended by Sidney Prescott and her friends. While in his office, he is attacked by Ghostface and stabbed repeatedly before dying.
Scream producer Bob Weinstein
Bob Weinstein
Robert "Bob" Weinstein is an American film and theatre producer, the founder and head of Dimension Films, former co-chairman of Miramax Films, and current head, with his brother Harvey Weinstein, of The Weinstein Company.-Career:...
had Himbry's death added to the movie after he realized that the film had "30 pages of script" without a death occurring. By chance, this gave writer Kevin Williamson a reason for the teenagers to leave Stu Macher's party during the film's finale, a plot point Williamson had been struggling to formulate. The language used by Himbry and his aggressive actions towards the students were among several reasons why the film's production was forced to leave Santa Rosa High School: the school board found the film's content unacceptable and did not want it filmed there.
Randy Meeks
- Portrayed by Jamie KennedyJamie KennedyJames Harvey "Jamie" Kennedy is an American comedian, rapper, and actor.-Early life:Kennedy, the youngest of six children, was born in Upper Darby Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family is of Irish descent and he was raised Roman Catholic. He attended and graduated from...
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3
Randy Meeks is a Woodsboro teenager. He is a friend of Sidney Prescott, for whom he has romantic feelings, and is an avid fan of horror movies. He uses his knowledge of horror film plots and clichés to define the series of murders that occur in Scream, Scream 2 and Scream 3. In Scream he is shot by Billy Loomis but survives. In Scream 2 he attends the fictional Windsor College with Sidney, studying film. When a new series of murders begins, Randy taunts the killer over the phone, mocking Billy Loomis' own killings in the previous film. During this call, the killer drags him into a van and stabs him to death. It is later revealed that Mrs. Loomis, Billy's mother, killed Randy out of anger at his insults to her son. Randy appears posthumously in Scream 3 in a recorded video, in which he explains to Sidney the "rules" concerning the latest killer.
In the published screenplay for Scream, an alternate ending had Randy (rather than Sidney) kill Billy before asking Sidney out on a date. Before a script leak forced the rewriting of parts of the Scream 2 screenplay, Randy was to be Gale Weathers' cameraman rather than a student as shown in the finished film. His death, however, remained the same. Craven and Ehren Kruger considered bringing Randy back in Scream 3, revealing him to have survived his attack in Scream 2 but abandoned the idea as too unrealistic.
Casting for Randy was contested between Kennedy and Breckin Meyer
Breckin Meyer
-Early life:Meyer was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Dorothy Ann , a travel agent and former microbiologist, and Christopher William Meyer, a management consultant. As a child of divorced parents, he lived in California, Texas, West Virginia and New Jersey. He has an older brother,...
. The production team favored Kennedy, as they believed he had certain qualities that made him more suitable than Meyer for the role. Kennedy, however, had had no major roles prior to Scream, and Dimension Films
Dimension Films
Dimension Films is a motion picture unit currently a part of The Weinstein Company. It was formerly used as Bob Weinstein's label within Miramax Films, to produce and release genre films...
, the studio producing the films, was eager to have a more prominent actor in the production alongside the other well-known stars such as Barrymore and Cox. The production team itself, however, was adamant that Kennedy was the best choice and fought successfully to keep him in.
Sidney Prescott
- Portrayed by Neve CampbellNeve CampbellNeve Adrianne Campbell is a Canadian actress. After beginning her career on stage, and on numerous commercials, she starred on the Canadian television series Catwalk. She then rose to international fame on the Golden Globe-winning 1990s television series Party of Five, playing the role of teenager...
- Appeared in: Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Scream 4
Sidney Prescott is a Woodsboro teenager. In Scream, a year after the murder of her mother Maureen, she is stalked by a killer, later revealed to be her boyfriend Billy Loomis and his friend Stu Macher. These two prove to have been Maureen's murderers, Billy being motivated by Maureen's affair with his father, which caused his mother to leave home. Sidney kills both of them in self-defense. In Scream 2, while attending college, she again becomes the target of a masked killer, this time her boyfriend's friend Mickey and the mother of Billy Loomis, seeking revenge for the death of her son. Once more Sidney manages to survive the attempts on her life. During Scream 3 she is drawn to Hollywood by yet another killer. She discovers that this one is her half-brother Roman Bridger, who wants to kill her out of anger at his abandonment by Maureen. In Scream 4 she returns to Woodsboro to promote her new self-help book about overcoming the tragedies of her life, but is targeted once again by a new Ghostface.
In the fictional films within a film "Stab" and "Stab 2", based on the murders, Sidney is portrayed by Tori Spelling
Tori Spelling
Victoria Davey "Tori" Spelling is an American actress. Spelling became known in the early 1990s for her role as Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210. Spelling then had roles in a string of made-for-television films, such as A Friend to Die For and Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?...
as herself. In Stab 3 she is portrayed by fictional actress Angelina Tyler, played by Emily Mortimer
Emily Mortimer
Emily Kathleen A. Mortimer is an English actress. She began performing on stage, and has since appeared in several film and television roles, including Scream 3, Match Point, Lars and the Real Girl, and Shutter Island....
.
Neve Campbell won the Saturn Award for Best Actress in 1997 for her role as Sidney Prescott in Scream and the MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance
MTV Movie Award for Best Performance
This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Performance from 1992 onward. In all but two years, the awards are separated into Male and Female categories.-1992:...
in 1998 for her role in Scream 2. When she was cast in Scream, Campbell was starring in the television drama series Party of Five
Party of Five
Party of Five is an American teen drama television series that aired on Fox for six seasons, from September 12, 1994, until May 3, 2000.Critically acclaimed, the show suffered from low ratings and after its first season was slated for cancellation...
. It was previously unheard of to cast an established television actress in a horror film, but, following the success of this casting and that of Courteney Cox, the practice became common in many later horror films. Craven opined that their presence helped raise the profile of Scream and attract a large female audience.
Steve Orth
- Portrayed by Kevin Patrick WallsKevin Patrick WallsKevin Patrick Walls is an American actor who has appeared in minor film roles.He auditioned for the lead role of Billy Loomis in 1996 film Scream but lost the role to Skeet Ulrich...
- Appeared in: Scream
Steven ("Steve") Orth is a Woodsboro teenager and the boyfriend of Casey Becker. He is captured and held hostage by Ghostface, who keeps him bound to a chair outside Casey's home. Casey is made to answer horror-film trivia questions to save his life. When she gets a question wrong, Steve is disemboweled and dies.
Walls auditioned for the part of Billy Loomis, but took the smaller role of Steve when Ulrich was cast as Billy.
Stu Macher
- Portrayed by Matthew LillardMatthew LillardMatthew Lyn Lillard is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his roles as Stu Macher in Scream, Stevo in SLC Punk , and Shaggy Rogers in the Scooby-Doo film series and the Animated reboot series.-Early life:Lillard was born in Lansing, Michigan, and grew up in Tustin, California...
- Appeared in: Scream
Stuart ("Stu") Macher is a Woodsboro teenager, the boyfriend of Tatum Riley and friend of Billy Loomis. Following a series of murders in the town, starting with the killing of Stu's ex-girlfriend Casey Becker, school is suspended. Stu gives a party at his house to celebrate. At the party, Ghostface murders Tatum. Stu is revealed to be Ghostface, and Billy his accomplice. Stu cites peer pressure as his motivation. Stu tries to kill Sidney, but she drops a television on his head, electrocuting him.
Matthew Lillard has an uncredited cameo at a sorority party in Scream 2. He revealed in a 2009 interview that Stu was originally intended to be the killer in Scream 3, having survived his apparent death. From prison he was to orchestrate new Ghostface attacks on high school students, ultimately targeting Sidney. Following the Columbine High School massacre
Columbine High School massacre
The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
, which took place shortly before production began, this plot was abandoned and the script was rewritten without Stu to avoid presenting violence and murder in a high school setting. Many of Lillard's notable and humorous lines in the film were improvised. He was cast by chance, after accompanying his girlfriend of the time to a separate audition in the facility where Scream auditions were also taking place. Scream casting director Lisa Beach saw Lillard and, believing he had the characteristics required of the character, asked him to audition.
Tatum Riley
- Portrayed by Rose McGowanRose McGowanRose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
- Appeared in: Scream
Tatum Riley is a Woodsboro teenager, the best friend of Sidney Prescott, the girlfriend of Stu Macher and the sister of town Deputy Dewey Riley. After a series of murders begin in the town, Tatum attempts to protect Sidney from the ensuing media attention, since the killings occurred on the anniversary of the brutal murder of Sidney's mother. Tatum's boyfriend Stu hosts a house party, during which the killer strikes, attacking her in the garage. She tries to escape through a cat door fitted to the automatic garage door, but becomes trapped, and the killer raises the door. Tatum's neck is crushed between the rising door and the top of its frame, killing her.
Tatum's death, like those of Casey Becker and Kenny, caused conflict between director Craven and the MPAA film rating board. Craven was ultimately forced to reduce any lingering shots of her body, necessitating a quick visual cutaway once she dies. Actresses Melinda Clarke
Melinda Clarke
Melinda Patrice Clarke is an American actress who has primarily worked in television. Clarke is best known for playing Faith Taylor on the daytime drama Days of our Lives, the manipulative and cunning Julie Cooper-Nichol on The O.C., and the professional dominatrix Lady Heather on CSI...
and Rebecca Gayheart
Rebecca Gayheart
-Early life:Gayheart was born in Hazard, Kentucky and raised in Pine Top, Kentucky, the daughter of Floneva , who worked as a Mary Kay independent beauty consultant, and Curtis Gayheart, a miner and coal truck driver. She is of Irish, Italian, and German descent...
also auditioned for the role. McGowan was cast as Tatum because the production team felt she best embodied the "spunky" nature of the character.
Scream 2
Scream 2 is the second film in the Scream series and is set two years after the Woodsboro murder spree. Sidney Prescott and Randy Meeks now attend the fictional Windsor College as students. "Stab", a film based on the Woodsboro murders, has just been released, and a copycat murder spree begins during its premiere. The new Ghostface attacks Sidney and her friends, killing Randy and wounding Dewey Riley, before being revealed as Sidney's classmate Mickey and Mrs. Loomis, the mother of Scream killer Billy Loomis.Cici Cooper
- Portrayed by Sarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...
- Appeared in: Scream 2
Casey ("Cici") Cooper is a student at Windsor College. While alone in her sorority house, Cici is attacked by Ghostface. She runs upstairs pursued by the killer, who throws her through a glass door on to a balcony and stabs her twice in the back before picking her up and throwing her over the balcony to her death. From her murder and the preceding murders of Phil Stevens and Maureen Evans, Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley deduce that the new killer is choosing targets with names similar to those of the victims of the original Ghostface killers, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher.
Sarah Michelle Gellar admitted in interviews that she signed on to Scream 2 without having read the script, on the basis of the success of the first film.
Debbie Salt (Mrs. Loomis)
- Portrayed by Laurie MetcalfLaurie MetcalfLauren Elizabeth "Laurie" Metcalf is an American actress. She is widely known for her performance as Jackie Harris on the ABC sitcom Roseanne, Mary Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, the voice of Mrs. Davis in the Toy Story film series and as Debbie Salt in Scream 2...
- Appeared in: Scream 2
Debbie Salt is a local news reporter covering the series of murders at Windsor College. In the finale she is revealed to be Mrs. Loomis, Billy's mother, and the copycat Ghostface alongside her accomplice Mickey. Before the events of Scream, she leaves her home after learning of her husband's affair with Sidney's mother Maureen, abandoning Billy and so providing his motivation for his killing spree in Scream. After Billy's death Mrs. Loomis undertakes a physical makeover, losing weight to change her appearance. She then recruits Mickey from a website devoted to serial killers, to enact a plan for revenge against Sidney. She ultimately betrays Mickey and shoots him, claiming to have indulged his desire for fame to gain his help, while she really intends to kill Sidney and then disappear without trace. Cotton Weary intervenes and manages to save Sidney's life by shooting Mrs. Loomis through the throat, killing her.
In the original Scream 2 script, Mrs. Loomis worked with Hallie and Derek, not Mickey, though she still killed her allies. She intended to frame Cotton Weary for the murders, but he managed to stab and kill her. After the script leaked on to the Internet, it underwent rewrites that removed this ending.
Derek
- Portrayed by Jerry O'ConnellJerry O'ConnellJeremiah "Jerry" O'Connell is an American actor, best known for his roles in the TV series Sliders, Andrew Clements in My Secret Identity, Vern Tessio in the film Stand by Me, Charlie Carbone in Kangaroo Jack, and Detective Woody Hoyt on the drama Crossing Jordan...
- Appeared in: Scream 2
Derek is a student at Windsor College, a friend of Mickey and boyfriend of Sidney Prescott. After publicly declaring his love for Sidney, he is captured by his fellow frat brothers
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
and restrained as a prank. During the finale, as Sidney is escaping Ghostface, she finds Derek still restrained and tries to untie him before the killer arrives. Ghostface reveals himself as Mickey and accuses Derek of being his accomplice, causing Sidney to hesitate in freeing him. After Derek threatens Mickey, Mickey shoots him through the heart, killing him.
In the original Scream 2 screenplay, Derek was one of the killers working with Mrs. Loomis and Hallie. Derek and Hallie, who were also secret lovers, shared the motivation of gaining fame for the murders when they were caught, but were both killed by Mrs. Loomis to preserve her anonymity. After the script was leaked on the Internet, it underwent rewrites, removing this ending.
Hallie
- Portrayed by Elise NealElise NealElise Neal is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Neal, a Memphis, Tennessee native, was born on March 14, 1966, the daughter of a nurse and a construction worker. She attended Lakeview Elementary. She was a ballet dancer and a cheerleader...
- Appeared in: Scream 2
Hallie is a student at Windsor College and the best friend of Sidney Prescott. When Sidney is taken into protective custody
Protective custody
Protective custody is a type of imprisonment to protect a prisoner from harm, either from outside sources or other prisoners. Many administrators believe the level of violence, or the underlying threat of violence within prisoners, is a chief factor causing the need for PC units...
, Hallie accompanies her, but Ghostface attacks the car in which they are traveling and murders the policemen guarding them. Ghostface hijacks their car, but crashes, rendering himself unconscious and allowing Sidney and Hallie to escape. When Sidney returns to the vehicle to discover the killer's identity, she finds him missing from the car. Ghostface leaps out at Hallie as she waits nearby for Sidney, and stabs her to death.
In the original Scream 2 screenplay, Hallie was one of the killers, working with Mrs. Loomis and Derek. She and Derek, who were also secret lovers, shared the motivation of gaining fame for the murders when they were caught, but were both killed by Mrs. Loomis to preserve her anonymity. After the script was leaked on the Internet, it underwent rewrites, removing this ending.
Joel
- Portrayed by Duane MartinDuane MartinDuane Martin is an American film and television actor.-Personal life:Martin was born in Dayton OH, and went to Dunbar High school and failed the 9th grade freshman year.Then met Tisha Campbell at the New York Liberty City Awards for the World records by doing backflips.-Career:Martin had a short...
- Appeared in: Scream 2
Joel is Gale Weathers' new cameraman. After reading Gale's book about the murders that occur in Scream, he becomes reluctant to stay and film at Windsor College. He leaves after finding the corpse of Randy Meeks.
In the original Scream 2 screenplay, Joel had a larger role as a member of Sidney Prescott's group of friends. His corpse was found during the film's finale. After this script was leaked on the Internet, it underwent rewrites, changing the role of several characters and making Joel a cameraman.
Maureen Evans and Phil Stevens
- Portrayed by Jada Pinkett and Omar EppsOmar EppsOmar Hashim Epps is an American actor, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His film roles include Major League II, Juice, Higher Learning, Scream 2, The Wood, In Too Deep, and Love and Basketball. Epps' television work includes the role of Dr. Dennis Gant on the US medical drama series ER,...
- Appeared in: Scream 2
Maureen Evans and her boyfriend Phil Stevens are students at Windsor College. They attend a sneak preview of the film "Stab", during which Phil goes to the bathroom and hears strange whimpering from the next stall. He presses his ear against the divider to listen closer, but a blade is forced through the divider, stabbing Phil in the ear and killing him. The killer, wearing a Ghostface costume, returns to the screening and sits beside Maureen, before mortally stabbing her. The audience believe her to be part of a publicity stunt, until she falls dead in front of the cinema screen.
Their deaths are satirized in Scary Movie
Scary Movie
Scary Movie is a 2000 comedy-parody film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, as part of Warner Bros. Entertainment. It is an American dark comedy which heavily parodies the horror, slasher, and mystery genres...
.
Mickey
- Portrayed by Timothy OlyphantTimothy OlyphantTimothy David Olyphant is an American actor whose notable roles in television drama series include Deadwood as Seth Bullock, Justified as Raylan Givens, The Office as Danny Cordray, and Damages as Wes Krulik...
- Appeared in: Scream 2
Mickey is a student at Windsor College and Derek's best friend. Like Randy Meeks from Scream, he shows an avid interest in horror films and sequels. In the finale he is revealed as the current Ghostface, with his accomplice Mrs. Loomis. He kills Sidney's boyfriend Derek in front of her. Mickey states that he carried out the killings with the intention of getting caught, believing he would receive fame for his deeds and from the resulting trial, and intending to blame film violence for influencing him. Contrary to Mickey's desires, however, Mrs. Loomis intends to disappear after the killings; so she shoots him, seemingly fatally. After Mrs. Loomis' defeat, though, Mickey leaps to his feet to attack Sidney, but is finally killed by Gale and Sidney.
In the original Scream 2 script, Mickey was murdered by Ghostface while trying to save Sidney, but this was changed in rewrites after the original script was leaked online.
Scream 3
In Scream 3, the third film in the Scream series, a new series of Ghostface murders begins during production of "Stab 3", a film within a film based on the murders in Scream and Scream 2. Sidney has hidden herself away, and Ghostface leaves photographs of a young Maureen Prescott, her mother, at the crime scenes, hoping to lure her to Hollywood. The killer is revealed as Roman Bridger, Sidney's unknown half-brother and Maureen's son. Roman was conceived after the young Maureen was gang-raped in Hollywood while attempting to become an actress under the pseudonymPseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Rina Reynolds. Baby Roman was given up for adoption, but as an adult he found Maureen, who rejected him. In revenge for this, Roman convinced Billy Loomis to kill her. Sidney and Roman fight, and Sidney stabs him before Dewey Riley shoots him through the head and kills him.
Angelina Tyler
- Portrayed by Emily MortimerEmily MortimerEmily Kathleen A. Mortimer is an English actress. She began performing on stage, and has since appeared in several film and television roles, including Scream 3, Match Point, Lars and the Real Girl, and Shutter Island....
- Appeared in: Scream 3
Angelina Tyler is the actress who plays the role of Sidney Prescott in "Stab 3". To win this role, she took part in a talent competition, but she later reveals that she slept with John Milton, the producer of the "Stab" films, to secure the job. While attending the birthday party of Roman Bridger, she is attacked and murdered by Ghostface.
In an early version of the script, Angelina was a second Ghostface, Roman's lover and accomplice, and a former classmate of Sidney from Woodsboro, originally named Angie Crick. Her motivation was stated as her idolizing Sidney and wanting her fame and attention, thus taking on the role of Sidney in the "Stab" film. The idea was later scrapped.
Christine
- Portrayed by Kelly RutherfordKelly RutherfordKelly Danne Melissa Rutherford is an American actress known for her roles of Stephanie "Sam" Whitmore on Generations, Megan Lewis on Melrose Place from 1996 to 1999 and currently as Lily van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl...
- Appeared in: Scream 3
Christine is Cotton Weary's girlfriend. In the opening of Scream 3, she is stalked by the current Ghostface, who uses a voice synthesizer to sound like Cotton, convincing her that Cotton is behind the mask. When the real Cotton arrives, she believes him to be Ghostface and attacks him, while the real Ghostface approaches her from behind and stabs her to death.
Mark Kincaid
- Portrayed by Patrick DempseyPatrick DempseyPatrick Galen Dempsey is an American actor, known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Prior to Grey's Anatomy he made several television appearances and was nominated for an Emmy Award...
- Appeared in: Scream 3
Mark Kincaid is a detective investigating the most recent Ghostface murders. He displays an interest in horror films, and in the history of Sidney Prescott. When Sidney is forced to confront the killer, Kincaid is concerned for her and secretly follows her. Kincaid is attacked and severely wounded by Ghostface. After Ghostface is killed, he and Sidney enter into a romantic relationship.
Jennifer Jolie
- Portrayed by Parker PoseyParker PoseyParker Christian Posey is an American actress. She became known during the 1990s after a series of roles in several well-received independent films. As a result, she has often been referred to as the "Queen of the Indies"....
- Appeared in: Scream 3
Jennifer Jolie is the actress playing the role of Gale Weathers in "Stab 3". She is dating Dewey Riley. After a new series of Ghostface murders, Jennifer believes she may be the next victim and starts following the real Gale, hoping the killer will choose to kill her instead. While attending a birthday party for Roman Bridger she is attacked and killed by Ghostface.
Parker Posey was nominated in 2000 for an MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Comedic Performance.-References:...
for her role as Jennifer Jolie, losing to Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
, who won it for his performance in Big Daddy (1999).
John Milton
- Portrayed by Lance HenriksenLance HenriksenLance James Henriksen is an American actor and artist best known to film and television audiences for his roles in science fiction, action, and horror films such as the Alien film franchise, and on television shows such as Millennium....
- Appeared in: Scream 3
John Milton is the producer of the three fictional "Stab" movies. He is revealed to have known Maureen Prescott in her youth, when she was an aspiring actress using the pseudonym Rina Reynolds. It was during one of Milton's parties in the 1970s that Rina was gang-raped and became pregnant with Roman Bridger. Ghostface, revealed as Roman, kidnaps Milton and murders him in front of Sidney, blaming him for turning their mother into a "slut".
Martha Meeks
- Portrayed by Heather MatarazzoHeather MatarazzoHeather Amy Matarazzo is an American actress. Her breakthrough role was as a geeky girl in the film Welcome to the Dollhouse . She played Lilly in The Princess Diaries and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement...
- Appeared in: Scream 3
Martha Meeks is Randy Meeks' younger sister. After learning of the new Ghostface murders, she meets with Sidney Prescott to give her a tape recorded by Randy prior to his death in Scream 2, which contains his advice for surviving the concluding chapter of a trilogy and the third series of Ghostface murders.
Roman Bridger
- Portrayed by Scott FoleyScott FoleyScott Kellerman Foley is an American actor. He is known for roles in television shows such as The Unit and Felicity, and in films such as Scream 3...
- Appeared in: Scream 3
Roman Bridger is the director of "Stab 3: Return to Woodsboro". During his birthday party at John Milton's mansion, he is found in the basement, apparently murdered. Later, when Sidney is confronted by Ghostface, the latter is unmasked as Roman, who has faked his death to eliminate himself as a suspect. Roman tells Sidney that he is her half-brother, relating the circumstances of his conception and later rejection by Maureen and how he had convinced Billy Loomis to murder Maureen. Believing that Sidney has the life and fame that he was denied, Roman now tries to kill her, but in the end he himself is killed by Dewey Riley.
Sarah Darling
- Portrayed by Jenny McCarthyJenny McCarthyJennifer Ann "Jenny" McCarthy is an American model, comedian, actress, author, activist, and game show host. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for Playboy magazine and was later named their Playmate of the Year. McCarthy then parlayed her Playboy fame into a successful television and...
- Appeared in: Scream 3
Sarah Darling is an actress starring in "Stab 3". She receives a phone call from someone claiming to be Roman, the director of that film, but after the call turns sinister she attempts to conceal herself among a set of film prop
Theatrical property
A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
Ghostface costumes. However, one of the costumes is being worn by the killer, who attacks and murders Sarah, leaving a picture of the young Maureen Prescott on her corpse.
Steven Stone
- Portrayed by Patrick WarburtonPatrick WarburtonPatrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
- Appeared in: Scream 3
Steven Stone is Jennifer Jolie's bodyguard. While guarding her home, he inspects Dewey Riley's trailer, which is kept on her land. While there he receives a phone call from someone claiming to be Dewey, who is later revealed to be Ghostface using a voice synthesizer to imitate Dewey's voice. Stone is attacked and killed by Ghostface.
Tom Prinze
- Portrayed by Matt KeeslarMatt KeeslarMatt Keeslar is an American actor.Keeslar was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the son of Fred Keeslar and Ann Ferguson, who divorced in 1977....
- Appeared in: Scream 3
Tom Prinze is an actor in "Stab 3", playing the role of Dewey Riley. At night in Jennifer Jolie's house, Tom, Jennifer, Gale and Dewey are attacked by Ghostface. The killer begins faxing them pages of script detailing the immediate events. As there is a power cut in the house, Tom attempts to illuminate the pages with his lighter, unaware of gas leaking into the house, causing an explosion that kills him.
Tyson Fox
- Portrayed by Deon RichmondDeon RichmondDeon Richmond is an American actor from New York City; he is best known for his semi-regular childhood role as Rudy Huxtable's friend Kenny on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show....
- Appeared in: Scream 3
Tyson Fox is a fictional actor in "Stab 3", playing the role of Ricky, the "Stab 3" equivalent of Randy Meeks. While attending the birthday party of Roman Bridger, he is attacked, stabbed, and thrown over a balcony to his death.
Scream 4
Scream 4 is the fourth film in the Scream series. On the fifteenth anniversary of the Woodsboro massacre depicted in Scream, Sidney returns to the town to promote her new self-help book, "Out of Darkness", about her overcoming the attacks and the deaths in her life. The fictional "Stab" series of horror films based on her life have continued to be produced and have become increasingly popular. In Scream 4 Woodsboro is attacked by a new Ghostface, who recreates the original Woodsboro killings from Scream. Ghostface targets Sidney, her cousin Jill Roberts, and Jill's friends. As the killings occur, Gale Weathers-Riley struggles to reestablish her journalistic career, while working on her strained marriage to Dewey Riley, now promoted to Sheriff.Anthony Perkins and Ross Hoss
- Portrayed by Anthony AndersonAnthony AndersonAnthony Anderson is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has starred in his own sitcom All About the Andersons, as well as the Fox sitcom The Bernie Mac Show during the fifth and final season of the show. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas such as K-Ville, The...
and Adam BrodyAdam BrodyAdam Jared Brody is an American film and television actor and part time musician. He began his career in 1995, appearing on Gilmore Girls and other series, and subsequently came to fame for his role as Seth Cohen on The O.C. Brody later appeared in several film roles, including Mr. & Mrs... - Appeared in: Scream 4
Anthony Perkins and Ross Hoss are deputies in the Woodsboro police, who are assigned to guard Jill and Sidney after threats from Ghostface. While patrolling the grounds of Jill's home, they are attacked and stabbed to death by Ghostface.
Charlie Walker
- Portrayed by Rory CulkinRory CulkinRory Hugh Culkin is an American actor and is the younger brother of actors Macaulay Culkin and Kieran Culkin.-Personal life:...
- Appeared in: Scream 4
Charlie Walker is a Woodsboro teenager, friend of Robbie Mercer, love interest of Kirby Reed and an avid fan of horror films, particularly the "Stab" series. He runs a film club with Robbie, and the pair are recruited by Gale to help profile the killer. He hosts a large-scale viewing of the seven "Stab" films in a remote area, and later attends an after-party at Kirby's house. Ghostface attacks the party and Charlie is captured and bound to a chair. Kirby is forced to answer horror film trivia questions to save his life. Believing she has won, Kirby frees Charlie, but he stabs her in the stomach and confesses to being the killer, angry with her for not returning his affections in the years they had known each other, before leaving her for dead. Charlie is revealed to have an accomplice, Jill, with whom he is in a romantic relationship. Charlie admits to aiding Jill in order to become the new generation Randy Meeks to her Sidney Prescott. Jill instead betrays him and stabs him through the heart, killing him.
Jenny Randall and Marnie Cooper
- Portrayed by Aimee TeegardenAimee TeegardenAimee Richelle Teegarden is an American actress. She starred as Julie Taylor in the NBC series Friday Night Lights, Jenny Randall in the horror film Scream 4, and Nova Prescott in the Disney film Prom.-Career:...
and Brittany RobertsonBrittany RobertsonBrittany Leanna "Britt" Robertson is an American actress. She is mostly known for playing the roles of Cara Burns in Dan In Real Life, Samantha in Swingtown, Trixie Stone in The Tenth Circle, Lux Cassidy in Life Unexpected, and Marnie Cooper in Scream 4... - Appeared in: Scream 4
Jenny Randall and Marnie Cooper are students at Woodsboro High School. After watching "Stab 7", Jenny pranks Marnie by pretending to be Ghostface. However, Marnie is then attacked by the real Ghostface, who murders her. Ghostface then chases Jenny through the house, wounding her and crushing her back as she tries to crawl under an automatic garage door, before stabbing her to death.
Jill Roberts
- Portrayed by Emma RobertsEmma RobertsEmma Rose Roberts is an American actress, model and singer. She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of Julia Roberts. Roberts became known for her role as Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous. She released her debut album, which also served as the show's...
- Appeared in: Scream 4
Jill Roberts is a student at Woodsboro High School, cousin of Sidney Prescott and daughter of Kate Roberts. Before the events of the film, she ends her relationship with her boyfriend Trevor Sheldon after he cheats on her. She and her friends, Kirby and Olivia, are targeted by the new Ghostface, resulting in their gaining police protection. Jill sneaks away from the protection to Kirby's house for a party. Ghostface attacks the party, murdering some of the attendees before being revealed as Charlie Walker. Following this reveal, Charlie and his accomplice, unmasked as Jill, capture Sidney. Envious of Sidney's fame, Jill wants to become the new "Sidney Prescott" by recreating the events that made Sidney famous. Jill murders Trevor for cheating on her, betrays Charlie by stabbing him through the heart, and stabs Sidney in the stomach. Believing that the witnesses to her crimes are all dead, Jill plants evidence framing Trevor and Charlie for the murder spree. Jill then intentionally harms herself to appear to be the lone survivor of the Ghostface attacks. After being taken to hospital, Jill discovers that Sidney has survived her wounds. Jill again attempts to kill Sidney, but Sidney, aided by Dewey, Gale, and Judy Hicks, shoots Jill in the chest, killing her.
Ashley Greene
Ashley Greene
Ashley Michele Greene is an American actress and model, best known for playing Alice Cullen in the film adaptations of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight novels.- Personal life :...
was considered for the role of Jill before Emma Roberts was cast.
Judy Hicks
- Portrayed by Marley SheltonMarley SheltonMarley Eve Shelton is an American film and television actress.Shelton began her acting career in her late teens, and appeared in several 1990s' television movies and shows. She made her film debut in the critically acclaimed drama Grand Canyon , and was cast in the films The Sandlot , Nixon , and...
- Appeared in: Scream 4
Judy Hicks is Deputy Sheriff of Woodsboro under Sheriff Dewey Riley and a former classmate of Sidney Prescott. She idolizes Dewey but dislikes his wife Gale. Judy saves Gale from being shot by Jill. She is then shot herself, but is unharmed, as she is wearing a bulletproof vest.
Lake Bell
Lake Bell
-Early life:Bell was born in New York City, the daughter of Robin Bell, owner of the design firm Robin Bell Design, Inc. in New York, and Harvey Siegel. Her father is Jewish and her mother is Protestant, and Bell has stated that she was raised in a "comically dysfunctional family".Bell attended The...
was given the role of Judy, but she dropped out only four days before filming was to begin, citing scheduling conflicts.
Kate Roberts
- Portrayed by Mary McDonnellMary McDonnellMary Eileen McDonnell is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Stands With A Fist in Dances with Wolves, and she is also very well known for her performance as President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica, the President's wife...
- Appeared in: Scream 4
Kate Roberts is the mother of Jill Roberts, aunt to Sidney Prescott, and sister to Maureen Prescott. After Kate and Sidney are attacked by Ghostface, Kate, leaning against a door, is stabbed in the back through a mail slot and dies.
Lauren Graham
Lauren Graham
Lauren Helen Graham is an American actress and producer. She is best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore on the WB Network dramedy series Gilmore Girls and Sarah Braverman on Parenthood.-Early life:...
was originally cast in the role of Kate Roberts but left the production a few days into principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
, being replaced with McDonnell.
Kirby Reed
- Portrayed by Hayden PanettiereHayden PanettiereHayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
- Appeared in: Scream 4
Kirby Reed is a Woodsboro teenager, friend of Jill Roberts and Olivia Morris, love interest of Charlie Walker and an avid fan of horror films. While entertaining friends at a party, she begins to pursue Charlie romantically. Ghostface attacks the party and she retreats into the basement with Sidney. Ghostface captures Charlie and forces Kirby to play a game to save his life. When she believes she has won, she unties Charlie, who then stabs her in the stomach and reveals that he is the killer, blaming her because she had not returned his affections sooner, and leaving her for dead.
Olivia Morris
- Portrayed by Marielle JaffeMarielle JaffeJaclyn Marielle Jaffe is an American actress.Jaffe was born in Valencia, California. She made her feature film debut as Aphrodite Girl in the 2010 film, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. In April 2011, she was the supporting character Olivia Morris in the slasher film Scream 4...
- Appeared in: Scream 4
Olivia Morris is a Woodsboro teenager and a friend of Jill Roberts and Kirby Reed. Following a new series of Ghostface murders, she is attacked by Ghostface in her home and disemboweled while her friends are forced to watch from the neighboring house.
Rebecca Walters
- Portrayed by Alison BrieAlison Brie-External links:...
- Appeared in: Scream 4
Rebecca Walters is Sidney Prescott's assistant and publicist, who helps arrange Sidney's visit to Woodsboro to promote her book. Sidney fires her after Rebecca attempts to capitalize on the new Ghostface murders to increase sales of Sidney's book. While returning to her car, Rebecca is taunted and attacked by Ghostface. She is stabbed to death and her body is thrown from the top of a parking garage, landing on a news van in front of a crowd of reporters.
Robbie Mercer
- Portrayed by Erik KnudsenErik KnudsenErik Kenneth William Knudsen is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing Daniel Matthews in Saw II and Robbie Mercer in Scream 4 and played Dale Turner in the CBS series Jericho.-Life and career:...
- Appeared in: Scream 4
Robbie Mercer is a Woodsboro teenager, a friend of Charlie Walker and an avid fan of horror films, running a film club with Charlie. While attending Kirby Reed's party, he is attacked by Ghostface and fatally wounded, living long enough to warn Sidney, Jill, and Kirby before dying.
Trevor Sheldon
- Portrayed by Nico TortorellaNico TortorellaNico Tortorella is an American actor and model. He is best known for his role of Trevor Sheldon in the 2011 horror film Scream 4, and as Razor in the ABC TV series Make It or Break It.-Life and career:...
- Appeared in: Scream 4
Trevor Sheldon is a Woodsboro teenager and the ex-boyfriend of Jill Roberts, who ended her relationship with him after he took her virginity and then cheated on her. He makes repeated attempts to earn her forgiveness and continue their relationship. After Ghostface's victims receive calls from Trevor's cellphone, which he claims to have lost, he becomes a suspect in the murders. He attends Kirby's house party, claiming to have been invited by phone, but the guests deny responsibility. When the true Ghostface killers are unmasked as Charlie and Jill, they reveal a bound Trevor, whom they plan to frame for their crimes. Jill shoots him in the crotch for cheating on her, before executing him by shooting him in the head.
Tortorella auditioned five times to secure the role of Trevor by reenacting a scene from Scream where the character of Billy Loomis reveals he is one of the killers.
Reception
Neve Campbell praised the role of Sidney Prescott, saying she "adored" the character and "she's a fantastic character for any kind of movie." In 1997 the Scream role won Campbell the Saturn Award for Best Actress and an MTV Movie Award for Best Female PerformanceMTV Movie Award for Best Performance
This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Performance from 1992 onward. In all but two years, the awards are separated into Male and Female categories.-1992:...
nomination. The following year she went on to win the 1998 Best Female Performance for Scream 2 and received a second nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Actress, losing to Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
for Contact
Contact (film)
Contact is a 1997 American science fiction drama film adapted from the Carl Sagan novel of the same name and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Both Sagan and wife Ann Druyan wrote the story outline for the film adaptation of Contact....
(1997). She received a third and final Best Female Performance nomination from MTV in 2000 for the character in Scream 3, but lost to fellow Scream alum Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...
for Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American drama film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. The film is an adaptation of the 18th-century French epistolary novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Laclos and is set among wealthy teenagers living in modern New York...
(2000).
Barrymore and Ulrich also received Saturn Award nominations in 1997 for Scream, for Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively. Although critical of the film itself, Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
singled out Campbell and Ulrich for praise as "charismatic", liking Cox's playing against type as the ambitious reporter Gale and saying the film had a "strong ensemble cast".
John Muir, author of Wes Craven: The Art of Horror, was critical of the new characters introduced in Scream 2 – Derek, Joel, Cici Cooper, Hallie, Lois, Murphy and Mickey – stating that they never attained the same depth of character as Scream characters such as Tatum Riley, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, or even minor characters like Principal Himbry. Muir cited the sequel's focus on increased body count
Body count
A body count is the total number of people killed in a particular event. In combat, a body count is often based on the number of confirmed kills, but occasionally only an estimate.-Military use:...
s and violence as the cause of this discrepancy in the quality of the two films' characters. He added that, as a result, Scream 2 lacked the same mystery or intrigue as the original, as the killer could be any character, purely because the audience is never provided with enough information to form an opinion of them. Roger Ebert agreed with this criticism, saying "there is no way to guess who's doing the killing, and everyone who seems suspicious is (almost) sure to be innocent."
However, Muir praised the development of the surviving characters of Scream, labelling Gale Weathers, Dewey Riley, Sidney Prescott, and Randy Meeks as "beloved" and claiming that the death of Randy was the most devastating moment of the sequel and a "bad move". Varietys Leonard Klady was more appreciative of some of the new cast, calling Laurie Metcalf and Liev Schreiber "standout" talent. Cox received a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in Scream 2, but lost to Gloria Stuart
Gloria Stuart
Gloria Frances Stuart was an American actress, activist, painter, bonsai artist and fine printer. Over a Hollywood career which spanned, with a long break in the middle, from 1932 until 2004, she appeared on stage, television, and film, for which she was best-known...
for Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
(1997).
On the characters of Scream 3, Roger Ebert was critical, stating "[the characters] are so thin, they're transparent", but he praised Neve Campbell's appearance as Sidney Prescott, saying "The camera loves her. She could become a really big star and then giggle at clips from this film at her AFI tribute". The New York Times praised her role equally highly, saying "She has developed as an actress; when her eyes go dark with concern and fear, she is nerve-racked and tormented, not play-acting." Harry Knowles
Harry Knowles
Harry Knowles is known for his website called Ain't It Cool News. Knowles is a member of the Austin Film Critics Association.-Biography:...
of Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News is a website founded and run by Harry Knowles, dedicated to news, rumors and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films and television projects, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic-book and action genres...
was less complimentary about Campbell, saying "She adds ZERO coolness. Zero talent. And Zero charisma to [Scream 3]." The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Tom Coates and Elvis Mitchell of the New York Times praised Parker Posey
Parker Posey
Parker Christian Posey is an American actress. She became known during the 1990s after a series of roles in several well-received independent films. As a result, she has often been referred to as the "Queen of the Indies"....
's character, with Mitchell saying "[Jennifer Jolie] alone makes the picture worth seeing. Dizzy and nakedly – hilariously – ambitious, she's so flighty she seems to be levitating." So well received was Posey's character that she received an MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Comedic Performance.-References:...
nomination in 2000 for the role, although she lost to Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
for Big Daddy (1999). Mitchell also praised the characters of Sarah Darling (McCarthy), Tyson Fox (Richmond) and Steven Stone (Warbuton), calling them "assets" to the film. In 2001, as part of the American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
's AFI 100 Years... series
AFI 100 Years... series
The AFI's 100 Years… series is a series of CBS television specials featuring the American Film Institute celebrating 100 years of the greatest films in America.The specials are:* 1998: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies* 1999: AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars...
, the character of Ghostface
Ghostface (Scream)
Ghostface is a fictional identity adopted by the main antagonists in the Scream series of slasher films. The character is voiced by Roger L. Jackson regardless of who is behind the mask...
became one of the four hundred nominees in the "100 Heroes and Villains" category.
On the characters of Scream 4, Film 4 complimented the new additions to the cast, isolating Robbie Mercer and Charlie Walker as the best of the new characters, while the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
called Panettiere's film-nerd Kirby Reed "feisty", labeling her the most "intriguing" new addition to the series.