Warning: This article contains spoilers for Scream VI.
The Scream saga is widely regarded as one of the most consistently high-quality horror franchises of them all. Sure, Scream 3 might be generally viewed as the weakest entry, but on the whole, the series has managed to continually engage audiences with its unique blend of murder, mystery, and meta humor. Another key factor in its never-ending success, however, is the incredible and ever-evolving ensemble casts that feature in the films.
Scream VI, specifically, has one of the finest in the entire Scream universe, from newcomers like Samara Weaving, Dermot Mulroney, and Tony Revolori to beloved returning legacy players like Hayden Panettiere and Courteney Cox. In fact, the two new movies from Radio Silence filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have done a terrific job of weaving together fresh characters with familiar ones. So much so that you might be wondering which Scream cast members have appeared the most times in the franchise.
Well, wonder no more, as here’s you guide to every Scream star who’s featured more than once.
Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Mason Gooding (2)
Even more so than the original trio of Sidney, Gale, and Dewey, the new Scream movies’ protagonists are a package deal, with Scream VI officially christening them “The Core Four.” Luckily, sisters Sam and Tara Carpenter, and twins Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin all somehow make it out of the latest movie alive, so hopefully, they’ll be able to tick off a trilogy of appearances in Scream 7.
Hayden Panettiere (2)
For the longest time, “Kirby Reed is actually alive” was one of the most popular Scream fan theories around, second only to “so is Stu.” It’s a fan theory no more, however, as Hayden Panettiere finally makes her much-anticipated return to the franchise in Scream VI, which reveals that Scream 4‘s fan-favorite horror lover is now a kick-ass FBI agent. Again, Kirby survives this one, so a third appearance is in the cards for next time.
Heather Matarazzo (2)
The Princess Diaries‘ Heather Matarazzo is notable for landing one-scene cameos in two different Scream movies. Matarazzo debuted as Martha Meeks, Randy’s never-before-mentioned sister, in Scream 3. Seeing as she was essentially just a delivery system for Randy’s posthumous video tape cameo, we never expected her to return — but return she did in Scream 2022, revealed as the mother of Mindy and Chad.
Marley Shelton (2)
Marley Shelton was canny casting as Deputy Judy Hicks in Scream 4, an old school-mate of Sidney’s we’d never met before, as the ’90s icon actress (Never Been Kissed, The Sandlot) could easily have appeared in the first Scream. Although she was heavily teased as a suspect, Judy proved herself a good guy, becoming Sheriff in Scream ’22. Sadly, though, she was ultimately murdered by Ghostface along with her son, Wes.
Nancy O’Dell (3)
The Scream franchise has always got a lot of mileage from skewering media and the entertainment industry, but even so, fans had likely completely missed the fact that real-life television host and presenter Nancy O’Dell had racked up a trio of appearances across the saga. The Entertainment Tonight alum turned up for cameos as herself in three consecutive films, from Scream 2 to Scream 4.
Jamie Kennedy (3)
Randy Meeks remains one of the most legendary Scream supporting characters, due to his status as the franchise’s original resident horror nerd. Likewise, his surprise death in Scream 2 is still one of the most controversial deaths in the whole series. So popular was Randy, that he was brought back for his aforementioned cameo in Scream 3. His legacy lives on in the new films through his niece and nephew, Mindy and Chad.
Liev Schreiber (3)
Liev Schreiber’s Cotton Weary has one of the most underrated arcs in the Scream franchise. Initially introduced as the man who killed Sidney’s mother, Cotton is ultimately cleared of the crime but becomes a Ghostface suspect himself in Scream 2, until he proves himself to be an ally. Cotton then has the honor of being the big kill in the opening scene of Scream 3, in which his newfound fame and success as a talk show host comes to a gruesome end.
Skeet Ulrich (3)
Yes, it’s strange to think, but OG Ghostface killer Billy Loomis has now appeared in a trilogy of Scream films. As every fan knows, Billy only survived the original movie, but Skeet Ulrich made a shock return in Scream ’22 via hallucinatory visions suffered by Sam Carpenter, his secret daughter. In Scream VI, Billy returns in much the same capacity, further hinting at the darkness inside Sam that she has inherited from her father.
David Arquette (5)
When the Scream franchise was relaunched in 2022, of course, David Arquette had to return as Dewey Riley, who had gone from an inexperienced deputy in the first film to the venerable Sheriff of Woodsboro. In Scream ’22, Dewey began as a washed-up alcoholic but he regained his heroism when he faced Ghostface alone, losing his life in the process. It might have been tragic, but it’s hard not to argue that this was the perfect way for his arc to end.
Neve Campbell (5)
Neve Campbell, on the other hand, has yet to receive the perfect conclusion to her Scream career. As Sidney Prescott, one of the greatest “final girls” of all horror cinema, Campbell was the protagonist of the original trilogy, remained a key presence in Scream 4, and made a welcome comeback in Scream ’22. Unfortunately, a contractual dispute kept her out of Scream VI, although the door has not been shut on her returning in Scream 7. Fingers crossed.
Courteney Cox (6)
With Campbell sidestepping Scream VI, that means Courteney Cox broke a horror movie record as the first female star to appear in six consecutive entries of a horror franchise. She’s earned it too, as everyone’s favorite acid-tongued reporter Gale Weathers, a character who might not always be the most likeable or make the right call but the fans love her nonetheless. Here’s to more Gale in Scream 7.
Roger L. Jackson (6)
Who’s your favorite scary movie voice actor? That’s right, the only other actor besides Cox to appear in every Scream film to date is Roger L. Jackson, who, of course, provides the chilling yet somehow still charming voice of Ghostface. Jackson also has the distinction of being the only cast member to appear in the Scream TV series too, as he reprised his iconic vocal role in VH1’s Scream: Resurrection. While a lot of things have changed about Scream over the years, Jackson’s involvement remains a pleasing constant.
