'Scream:' Meet the Most Memorable Cast of the Iconic Horror Movie Then and Now

It’s Halloween season! And what better time to remember the cast of the 1996 film that reshaped the horror genre in Hollywood? This is what has become of the cast of this classic have done since starring in the movie.

It’s been more than 20 years since Wes Craven at the same time paid homage and questioned the tradition of teenage slasher films from the ‘70s and ‘80s with “Scream,” creating a cultural phenomenon.

The film sparked three theatrical sequels and one TV series, and today we want to check on the ensemble cast that did such a good job in keeping us all at the edge of our seats giving us a lesson in pure horror.

NEVE CAMPBELL

The 46-year-old actress played high school student Sidney Prescott, the tough protagonist of the film, who plays hard to catch for the mysterious murderer Ghostface, and sees most of her friends killed by him.

Campbell has reprised the role in all three sequels of the film. Following the first installment of the franchise, she starred in the erotic thriller “Wild Things” (1998). Her latest movie to date was the 2019 drama “Castle in the Ground.”

On the small screen, the actress continued playing the role of Julia Salinger in the drama series “Party of Five” until 2000. Most recently, she played the recurring role of Leann Harvey in “House of Cards.”

COURTENEY COX

The 55-year-old actress played reporter Gale Weathers, who would do anything, including risking her life, for a breaking news report.

After doing the film, Cox continued starring on “Friends” until 2004. Following the wrapping of the popular sitcom, she kept working regularly on TV, starring on ”Dirt” and most recently on “Cougar Town” (2009-2015).

On the big screen, Cox has been mostly limited to reprising her role of Gale Weathers in the three subsequent sequels of “Scream.” In 2016, she starred in “Mothers and Daughters.”

DAVID ARQUETTE

The 48-year-old actor played Deputy Dewey Riley, who gets nearly killed while trying to unmask the perpetrator of the murders.

Arquette reprised the role in all three sequels of the film, and he took part in several horror movies as an actor before getting behind the camera to direct his own serial-killer film “The Tripper,” on which he also starred, in 2006.

Apart from being in the series “Cleaners” (2013-2014) and “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters” (2016-2017), he provided the voice for Skully in the animated series “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” from 2011 to 2016.

SKEET ULRICH

The 49-year-old actor played Billy Loomis, Sidney’s boyfriend, and the first person arrested as a suspect of the serial killings.

Despite having landed roles in important movies like “As Good as It Gets” (1997) and “The Newton Boys” (1998) after his appearance in “Scream,” Ulrich ultimately had much more success as a TV actor.

He starred in the series “Jericho” from 2006 to 2008 and, most recently, in the mystery series “Riverdale,” inspired in the Archie’s comics, on which he plays Jughead’s father FP Jones.

MATTHEW LILLARD

The 49-year-old actor played horror film fan Stuart “Stu” Macher, the owner of the house where most of the film takes place. He gets killed in the end, but not by the masked killer.

Lillard played a remarkable “weirdo” in the film so well that he was somewhat typecast with eccentric characters, most famously playing Shaggy in the two live-action “Scooby Doo” films.

In 2001 he starred in the romantic comedy “Summer Catch,” followed by the slasher film “Thir13en Ghosts” the same year. He played a more dramatic role in 2011’s “The Descendants.” On TV, he recurs in “Good Girls” since 2018.

DREW BARRYMORE

The 44-year-old actress played short-lived Casey Becker. Her character sets the tone in the film, with her murder serving as introduction, showing the modus operandi of Ghostface.

Barrymore was the biggest star at the time the film was made, and she continued working regularly, succeeding as a mostly romantic and comedic lead, collaborating with Adam Sandler in three films between 1998 and 2014.

She is known for films like “Never Been Kissed” and the “Charlie’s Angels” franchise. Since 2017, she plays the main character in the comedy/horror series “Santa Clarita Diet,” produced by Netflix.

ROSE MCGOWAN

The 46-year-old actress played Tatum Riley, Sidney’s best friend, and one of the first victims of the mass murderer Ghostface in the film.

While it wasn’t her first film, her role in “Scream” opened the doors for her in Hollywood. In 2001 she joined the cast of “Charmed” in replacement of Shannen Doherty, and she starred in the series until 2007.

In 2006, she had a role in Brian De Palma’s mystery film “The Black Dahlia.” Most notoriously, she played a machine-gun-legged warrior in Robert Rodriguez’s “Planet Terror” (2007). In 2017, she announced her retirement from acting.

LIEV SCHREIBER

The 52-year-old actor played Cotton Weary, a man wrongfully convicted for Sidney’s mother’s murder.

While he had a very small role in the first film of the franchise, his character developed in the second and third installments. Besides that, he was in “The Sum of All Fears” (2002) and most recently in the Award-winning “Spotlight” (2015)

In 2009, Schreiber joined the “X-Men” film universe playing Logan’s brother Victor Creed. In 2018, he voiced the character “Spots” in Wes Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs” and currently plays the title character in “Ray Donovan” since 2013.

JAMIE KENNEDY

The 49-year-old actor played film geek Randy Meeks, who had a big crush on his friend Sidney. He is one of the few characters in the film that survives, apart from the main character.

Kennedy reprised his role in both the second and third installments of the film series. In 1997, he had a small role in “As Good as It Gets,” just like his “Scream” co-star Ulrich.

From 2002 to 2007, Kennedy hosted the reality TV series “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment.” Later in his career, he became most associated with comedy films. He also lent his voice for the animated series “The Cleveland Show” (2009-2013).