If you’re a fan of the Scream film franchise, you know that many characters have found themselves wearing the Ghostface cloak in Woodsboro murders. From Billy Loomis and Stu Macher to Jill Roberts and Charlie Walker, there always seems to be a twisted reason for someone to don the mask and seek revenge.
Two of our favorite Woodsboro residents have always been Billy and Stu. For the 25th-anniversary celebration of Scream‘s big debut, the two have been, alongside other original cast members, giving interviews that reflect upon their time in the franchise.
Billy and Stu were the first to become Ghostface, and they each brought a sense of humor and irony to their murders. From Lillard’s clumsy gait being part of Stu’s character to Billy’s reason behind the madness — they drew us all in and became a stepping stone for what the franchise would become.
Skeet Ulrich recently sat down with Collider for an incredible interview where he discussed his time on the film, and one question he answered was a question many fans have always wondered. Did their characters know who they were going to kill?
In terms of Billy and Stu killing their victims in Scream, Ulrich said there were really no discussions on who was responsible for killing specific victims.
“Nobody ever knew, to be honest. There were no conversations about it. I know that for insurance reasons etc., Ghostface had to be a stuntman. But yeah, we didn’t know and it never really was part of the conversation. Now though, going to conventions and stuff, I hear it’s a big, burning question and people have theories and have figured things out. And yet, I know Matt Lillard had a conversation with Kevin Williamson and he never thought out who was doing what. I guess that kind of speaks a little bit to the genius of Wes, that people feel like they have clues in there as to who was who. And I think some are more obvious than others in hindsight, obviously. If I’m appearing right after, it’s clearly not me.”
Ulrich says that it speaks to the genius of Craven that fans have theories regarding which kills Billy and Stu are responsible for.
Of course, with a script like Scream‘s, fans are curious about which lines are favorites of the cast and crew. There are standout points of dialogue and one-liners in the mind of every single Scream fan, and that also rings true for those involved in making the film.
So, which of Matthew Lillard’s one-liners was a favorite of Ulrich? Probably a favorite of yours, too. Some of the unscripted lines Lillard spoke into the film were so great that they were kept, and this one was a hit specifically.
“You hit me with the phone, dick!”
Ulrich explained the scene, saying the phone wasn’t supposed to be thrown in Lillard’s direction — so his expression was a completely genuine one.
“It wasn’t scripted that he gets hit by a phone, it wasn’t scripted that the had a reaction to it. I was venting at having lost Sidney at that moment or knowing where she was, and the fake blood was so sticky that when I went to throw the phone just in frustration, it didn’t go the direction I intended and what you see — it hit him and his reaction was in the moment.”
That reaction has to be one of our favorites, not just within Scream but also within the franchise. The two have a lifelong friendship now, and they can look back at this point in each of their careers and see how their chemistry allowed them to play friends/enemies/and masked slashers so well. The two playing off of one another is a level of Scream all its own.
