SPOILER WARNING: The following interview contains Scream VI spoilers, including the identity of Ghostface in the film. If you have not seen Scream VI and do not want to know anything about the sequel, DO NOT continue reading this interview. Cheers!
Once again, everyone, there are Scream VI spoilers ahead. This is your final warning!
Seriously, there are spoilers. Turn back now if you don’t want to know about Ghostface in Scream VI.
During the recent press day for Scream VI, Daily Dead had the opportunity to chat with Dermot Mulroney (you can read the first part of our interview HERE). And as a long-time fan of the Scream series, I couldn’t help but take advantage of the fact that for the first time ever in my career, I was getting to chat with a Ghostface Killer, so I had to pick Mulroney’s brains over the thrill of getting to play such an iconic figure in the horror genre and so much more.
So when you found out that you were one of the Ghostface, what was your first reaction? Was it like, “Oh no”? Or was it like, “Oh, hell yeah” (laughs)?
(Laughs) Oh no, it was, an “Oh, hell yeah” reaction, for sure. And I learned about it in a funny way because of the way they gave me the script. I wasn't sure about a number of things when we started, and then I didn't know that I was one of several Ghostfaces. So when you learn that it's a family affair, we probably should have just done group therapy, if you think of it that way. But the finale is just the three of us working out the processing of our grief. We caused a lot of death and mayhem, but it's also about loss, even though this is a horror film called Scream. But even I didn't know that the kids were involved for a while.
Oh, really?
Oh, yeah (laughs).
So, at what point did you find out then?
I learned in reverse. Before I knew who I was playing, I learned that I was the Ghostface killer, but they didn't tell me that I was one of several Ghostface killers. So it came about in my reading of the script. And when I read the script, I also hadn't seen Scream V so some of it was lost on me. The whole process of putting it together, for me, took several steps. That’s the experience of when you're watching a Scream movie though, right (laughs)? So when I learned that Wes Craven even used to mess around with the actors and only give them certain pages, it was starting to make more sense as to why I was learning things piecemeal. It's actually a Scream game that they were playing with me and I didn't even know it (laughs).
I wanted to ask, in terms of the energy for the final scene and everything that's going on – because there's a lot happening as it is probably the most action-packed of the Scream finales. How was it for you guys during all of those moments, trying to keep that energy going, and pushing yourselves really hard? Was it fun?
It was even more fun than I can describe here, that’s for sure. I was feeding off of everyone’s energy, and some of them are in their twenties, so that helped (laughs). But we were all so excited to be there. It is a pinnacle moment in the shooting of the movie where we've arrived at the classic iconic Scream finale scene. So the whole set that we were on, as you described it, it was so incredible. It really felt like we were having a moment in there. It took so much effort over the days we were shooting, in terms of the intense choreography and fights and the speeches as well. It was really draining.
This scene was what finally took it out of me, where I had to take a couple of days to bounce back which doesn't really happen with me that often. That's how demanding all of those elements were in a real way when we're basically making a goof of a movie in some ways, but it was surprisingly demanding. Everybody rose to the occasion though, but at the end of it, we had all been through the wringer, in all honesty. But Matt [Bettinelli-Olpin] and Tyler [Gillett] just flew the doors open to allow for just this immense amount of energy.
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Editor's note: To catch up on all of our recent Scream VI coverage, visit: https://dailydead.com/tag/scream_week/
Heather A. Wixson was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, until she followed her dreams and moved to Los Angeles in 2009. A 14-year veteran in the world of horror entertainment journalism, Wixson fell in love with genre films at a very early age, and has spent more than a decade as a writer and supporter of preserving the history of horror and science fiction cinema. Throughout her career, Wixson has contributed to several notable websites, including Fangoria, Dread Central, Terror Tube, and FEARnet, and she currently serves as the Managing Editor for Daily Dead, which has been her home since 2013. She's also written for both Fangoria Magazine & ReMind Magazine, and her latest book project, Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume One will be released on October 20, 2021.
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