Fan Expo 2015: Scream Cast remembers Wes Craven

Film lost a legend last week when horror master Wes Craven passed away after battling brain cancer. The wound was still fresh for the reunited members of the cast of Scream who worked with Craven 19 years-ago to film the classic horror and at today’s reunion panel at Fan Expo, they spent a bit of time remembering the legend. When Neve Campbell (who starred as protagonist Sydney Prescott), Skeet Ulrich (who played Sydney’s boyfriend Billy) and Roger Jackson (the voice of Ghost Face) met in front of a massive convention crowd, they seemed in good spirits but when they were asked about working with the famed director, the panel took a somber tone. Campbell was the first to answer; she spoke about Craven’s passion and enthusiasm on set, attributing the joy the cast and crew experienced to his infectious energy. Ulrich agreed that Craven had been the heart of the set and Jackson told of Craven’s support for costar Drew Barrymore while filming Scream’s infamous opening scene. According to the story, Barrymore had to dig deep emotionally in order to portray a terrified teenager in the opening scene. Apparently, Craven was there after every cut, supporting and consoling the distressed actress.

Promotional art for 1996’s Scream

There was also a lot of talk about Craven’s methodology on set. As the panel continued, Campbell disclosed that she had only met Jackson three weeks prior. Craven had kept him sequestered on set, hidden away where he could watch the action from a monitor then he would phone them as the scene demanded. Craven reasoned that this would help the actors portray real fear. Wes Craven brought so much more than fear to his audiences, he often incorporated humor and satire into his movies. Ulrich spoke about his charismatic touch and ability to blend genres, he said that he didn’t even notice the satire in the film until his costar Matthew Lillard delivered his lines, that was Craven’s genius. His dedication to horror was agreed upon by all three panelists as they told about the pains the director went through to get Scream made. His passion for the movie would not allow executives or the ratings board to stand in his way.

(Left to right) Skeet Ulrich, Neve Campbell, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, and Jamie Kennedy on set.

Throughout the conversation, the topic kept returning to the late director. Campbell carefully considered the fate of Sydney Prescott when asked if she would ever return to the character. While she admitted that she would have to think about the possibility, she did mention the new version of Scream on television and lamented not being able to reach out to Craven to see what he thought of it. While she was unfamiliar with his work when she originally joined the cast, Campbell considered that knowing his legend may have intimidated her, and she was thankful that she had the privilege of working with Craven and learning from him. Ultimately, the hour cast reunion painted a picture of a joyful, passionate director and mourned the loss of Wes Craven. Scream will forever be remembered as a definitive horror movie, and is an important part of his legacy, but beyond that, Craven redefined the horror genre time and time again, and his absence will clearly be felt by his colleagues and fans alike.