Scream (1996 film)/Characters

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Characters Appearing in All the Films

Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell)

The professional survivor, Sidney's life has been defined by a series of killing sprees all directed at her. First her mother Maureen was killed out of a jealous rage, then her friends in high school and college were hacked to bits, and then they started making hit slasher movies based on her tragedy. While this has brought her fame, fortune and a bestselling autobiography, it also means that she has had to spend large parts of her adult life constantly looking over her shoulder for the next wannabe Ghostface.

  • Action Girl: In the fourth film.
  • Billing Displacement: Always billed second to David Arquette, despite being the lead.
  • Brainy Brunette
  • Character Development: At the beginning of the first film, she's just a perky high school kid who, over time, develops into a guilt ridden survivor in the second film, to a seclusive hermit by the third. The fourth, however, shows how, many years later, she's fully willing to take the fight to the killer, having her first encounter with him directly after Olivia's death. And winning.
  • Death By Sex: Averted in the first film; she's the only named character in the franchise to have sex and live to tell about it.
  • Famed in Story: Becomes a celebrity after the events of the first movie.
  • Final Girl: Initially played straight, although she slowly evolves into a deconstruction as the series goes on, with her life defined by her "perpetual victimhood" and the bloody consequences that this has for those around her.
  • Genre Savvy: "Horror movies are all the same. Some stupid killer stalking some big-breasted girl who can't act who's always running up the stairs when she should be going out the front door. It's insulting."
  • He Who Fights Monsters: While Sidney has managed to survive 4 occasions of attacks, there were some scenes that make you wonder whether or not she might end up as a killer, or no different than one. She herself even Lampshaded this in 3.

 Roman: I shot you.

Sidney:*Reveals bullet proof vest.* I guess we think alike.

Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox)

A reporter who, in the first film, is fighting to prove that Cotton Weary did not commit the murder that he was put on death row for, and returns to Woodsboro for the one-year anniversary and to cover the new string of murders. Come the sequel, she's written a book about the Woodsboro murders, which has been adapted into a film, and comes to Windsor College to cover yet another killing spree. Has a rather abrasive personality.

Dewey Riley (David Arquette)

Woodsboro's deputy sheriff, Dewey is always on the case when a new Ghostface killer comes out of the woodwork, partly due to the loss of his little sister Tatum to the first Ghostface, and partly out of his sense of family with Sidney, Gale and Randy.

  • Action Survivor
  • Big Brother Instinct: Literally towards Tatum, metaphorically towards Sidney.
  • Billing Displacement: Always billed ahead of Neve Campbell, the series' lead.
  • Butt Monkey: He gets the shit beaten out of him by Ghostface in every movie, although he survives them all.
  • Embarrassing Nickname: His real name is "Dwight", with "Dewey" being a childhood nickname he got stuck with. By the time Scream 2 rolls around, he makes a point on being called "Dwight" by Gale - it doesn't take, though.
  • Good Hair Evil Hair: Dewey sports a heroic cop mustache.
  • Made of Iron: Stabbed in the back in the first film, stabbed multiple times in the second one, beaten almost to death with a bedpan in the fourth one... and still alive.
  • The Sheriff: He's been promoted to this by the fourth film.

Ghostface (Roger L. Jackson (voice), Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Laurie Metcalf, Timothy Olyphant, Scott Foley, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin)

Wearing a white ghost mask and long black robes, the Ghostface killer sneaks and stabs his way through suburban neighborhoods, hacking to pieces pretty young teenagers and college kids -- but not before calling them up with horror trivia games. Word of advice: don't get the wrong answer.


Characters Appearing in Multiple Films

Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy)

A horror movie fan who, in the first three films, gave the characters (and the audience) a list of rules for surviving a horror movie. He is one of the key reasons for the series' reputation for self-referential, post-modern humor.

Cotton Weary (Liev Schreiber)

The man who was sentenced to death for the murder of Maureen Prescott, Sidney's mother, whom he was having an affair with. In the first film, Gale Weathers is trying to get his name cleared for the murder, feeling that he is innocent. She's right. In the second film, he travels to Windsor College to convince Sidney to do an interview with him. By the third film, his exploits have made him a celebrity, getting him his own talk show.

  • Big Damn Heroes: Arrives barely in time to save Sidney from being killed by Mrs. Loomis in the second film's climax.
  • Clear Their Name: What Gale does for him prior to the first film, and also what he does in the second film.
  • Dead Star Walking: Makes a cameo at the beginning of the third film, only to be killed off moments later.
  • Dude Where's My Respect: Played with: after being found innocent of the murders, he feels pretty entitled to his newfound fame and asks Sidney to help him land a big TV interview, believing she "owes" it to him.
  • Early Bird Cameo: In the first film.
  • Frame Up: The first film reveals that Billy and Stu framed him for Maureen's murder.
  • Red Herring: In the second film.
  • Show Within a Show: in the beginning of Scream 3, he's been hosting talk show 100% Cotton for some time; he's also being asked to appear in the latest Stab movie. (Or so he says.)
  • What Could Have Been: Cotton was originally intended to be an antagonist in Scream 2, fighting Sidney to the death after Mrs. Loomis's downfall. The idea was later scrapped and he got his Big Damn Heroes moment.

Characters unique to Scream

Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore)

Tatum Riley (Rose McGowan)

Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich)

Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard)

Characters unique to Scream 2

Cici Cooper (Sarah Michelle Gellar)

Debbie Salt / Mrs. Loomis (Laurie Metcalf)

 Gale: Jesus. It can't be, I've seen pictures of you.

Sidney: Yeah this is 60 pounds and a lot of work later.

Debbie: It's called a makeover. You should try it. Look a little tired yourself there, Gale!

Derek (Jerry O'Connell)

Mickey (Timothy Olyphant)

Hallie (Elise Neal)

Characters unique to Scream 3

Jennifer Jolie (Parker Posey)

Roman Bridger (Scott Foley)

Angelina Tyler (Emily Mortimer)

  • Casting Couch: How she got the part of Sidney in Stab 3.
  • Death By Sex: She gets killed literally seconds after revealing that she had employed the Casting Couch to get the part of Sidney. Damn, do the rules strike fast!
  • Final Girl: She's playing one in Stab 3, and she's initially presented as such. She dies, though.
  • Foreshadowing: Averted. Early in the film, she wonders if it will turn out that her character, Sidney, is the killer in the third Stab movie (the cast only has partial scripts to prevent leaks). In the original script, she was one of the killers alongside Roman, but this was changed in the final draft.
  • The Ingenue: What she presents herself as. Actually, she's anything but that.
  • Red Herring
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: For Sidney.
  • What Could Have Been: In the original draft of the script, she was one of the killers.

Sarah Darling (Jenny McCarthy)

John Milton (Lance Henriksen)

Characters unique to Scream 4

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Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts)

Sidney's cousin, though not very close to her since she and her mother live in Woodsboro, while Sidney left the town many years ago (presumably ever since Scream 2). She reminds Sidney of herself, as a young woman. Jill looks like a somewhat ingenuous girl, but she's actually smart and strong-minded. She deals with her complicated relationship with her ex-boyfriend... and the rise of a new Ghostface, who seems determined to kill her and her friends before targetting Sidney.

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Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere)

A notorious horror film fan, Kirby is a quirky and spirited best friend to Jill and Olivia. She's somewhat of a tomboy and "alternative" girl, who likes to watch movies, drink (a lot, apparently) and party. She seems to be aware of Charlie's crush on her, but instead prefers to "tease and torment" him. Upon realizing she's the only one of the Three Amigos not to receive a phone call from the killer, she becomes really uneasy (ultimately insisting it means she'll be the next one to die).

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Trevor Sheldon (Nico Tortorella)

Jill's ex-boyfriend, who is said to have cheated on her. Despite being pretty much shunned by Jill and their friends after the incident (they all behave at least uncomfortably towards him, except maybe Robbie), he's eager to win her forgiveness and resume their relationship... with little to no success. He's an avid fan of the Stab series -- surprisingly even attending to the Stab-a-thon -- a fan of the Ghostface character and is notorious for his ninja-like skills.

  "Yeah, 'cause that's what I would do if a was a crazy psycho killer, I'd use my own phone to call you."

  • Death By Woman Scorned: His death was part of the plan, but Jill specifically evokes this trope before murdering him.
  • Determinator: "The problem with Trevor is: he never quits".
  • Jerk With a Heart of Gold
  • Kick the Dog: Tied up, shot in the groin and then in the head.
  • Moment Killer: For Kirby and Charlie.
  • Noodle Incident: The fateful "going out" with someone else that caused his falling out with Jill. The subject is only mentioned, never explored upon.
  • Red Herring: And a well played one; because of the fourth movie's whole remake theme, viewers are led to believe that this time the killer will actually be the obvious boyfriend again, just like Billy. Ends up completely Subverted.
  • Stealth Hi Bye: His trademark! He simply pops out of nowhere when people less expect it. Both he and Robbie Lampshade this.
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To Billy. Ends up subverted, and he gets Neil Prescott's role - though this time it works as planned by the killers.
  • Troubled but Cute
    • The Woobie: Ends up as one. He really loved Jill and was trying to get her back and protect her from the killer. He didn't know, of course, that she was the killer, and gets grievously murdered.

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Charlie Walker (Rory Culkin)

President of the Cinema Club at Woodsboro High, "one run below the Glee Club, two above Nintendo Wii Fit". Charlie has a vast knowledge about films in general, although with a penchant for the horror genre, and a calm, collected, but somewhat clumsy air. He has a very obvious crush on Kirby, which she is naturally well aware of, but doesn't seem to reciprocate. He and Robbie host the Stab-a-thon every year.

  • Beware the Nice Ones: He's really NOT nice. At all.
  • The Dragon: To Jill.
  • Hollywood Nerd: Just without the glasses
  • Meta Guy
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Seemingly to Randy, and even stated as he was going to be the next Randy to Jill's Sidney during the reveal. However, Sidney basically states that Charlie is much like Stu, which leads to his death by Jill.
  • UST: With Kirby because well, he (may or may not have) killed her, and possibly with Robbie.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: As soon as they run out of targets and the final act comes, Jill kills him so she can come out as the sole survivor.

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Robbie Mercer (Erik Knudsen)

Vice-president of the Cinema Club at Woodsboro High, "in case Charlie takes a bullet". Usually seen with a headset and a camera, broadcasting his school experiences live into a videoblog, something he believes will be common one day. Less collected and more playful and prone to panic than Charlie, but as much a film geek, knowledgeable about the makings of a modern horror movie. He and Charlie host the Stab-a-thon every year.

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Deputy Sheriff Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton)

A dedicated police officer and loyal right-hand woman to Dewey, whom she idolizes and seems to have a crush on (and likes to bake lemon squares to). There is some sort of rivalry between herself and Gale, and the latter doesn't even bother hiding her antipathy towards the deputy (and her lemon squares). Judy knew Sidney from high school, but didn't make a big enough impression for Sidney to remember her.

Deputy Ross Hoss (Adam Brody) and Anthony Perkins (Anthony Anderson)

Two police officers working under Dewey, assigned to guard Sidney and Jill after it's confirmed that a new Ghostface killer has surfaced. Hoss is a rookie officer, recently graduated, with a reserved, respectful and somewhat apprehensive demeanor -- as well as a sad realization that cops are always endangered in fiction -- while Perkins is an older and seasoned cop with a perpetual cocky and bigoted disposition.

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Rebecca Walters (Alison Brie)

  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Three girls get brutally killed, and the only thing she can think about is how well this will affect the sales of Sidney's book. She also seems to be somewhat envious of Sidney.
  • Composite Character: In the original draft of the script, there were two characters named Bette (Sidney's pushy and secretly envious assistant) and Rebecca (editor-in-chief of the high school newspaper and Gale's fangirl and wannabe), who were eventually combined into Rebecca Walters.
  • If It Bleeds It Leads: If it bleeds, it rockets the book sales.
  • Motor Mouth: Even when she's completely by herself.
  • Plucky Comic Relief: Somewhat.
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To Gale, but she acts towards her in a way similar to Debbie Salt.

Kate Roberts (Mary McDonnell)

Maureen's younger sister, Sidney's aunt and Jill's mother.

  • Hot Mom: She's considered better-looking than Maureen.
  • One Scene Wonder: Almost. Her screentime is very limited, but you gotta love every second of it.
  • Shipper On Deck: In the deleted hospital scene, she convinces Jill to talk to Trevor and looks like she really supports him.
  • Tempting Fate: She utters the dangerous sentence "I'll be right back". Gets killed minutes later.
  1. ↑ This may be a bizarre kind of Actor Appeal, as Hayden Panettiere's been similarly dangerous behind the wheel in Heroes and I Love You Beth Cooper.
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