Mikey Madison breaks silence on killing ‘Scream’s’ OG character in 2022 movie

Mikey Madison didn’t intentionally kill one of the most popular characters from the Scream franchise.

The actress, who joined the franchise with its 2022 installment Scream V, recently reflected on her role as Ghostface and the emotional impact of her character's actions.

Born after the original Scream debuted in 1996, Madison admitted she initially underestimated the franchise’s massive fan base.

“I have to be honest, when I did the film, it sounds naive, but I wasn’t so aware of the huge fan base that the franchise has, that I’ve now been able to discover,” Madison told Collider.

“Scream and horror fans and people who love horror films are the best people ever, but I really naively went into it.”

In Scream V, Madison’s character delivered one of the series' most shocking moments by killing retired sheriff Dewey Riley, played by original cast member David Arquette.

After the film’s release, Madison became aware of the major impact Dewey’s death had on the Scream fandom and felt compelled to apologize.

“I remember being kind of sad because I was like, ‘Oh, such a great character. It’ll be sad to see him go.’ And then I realized afterward the heartbreak that so many people felt,” she shared.

Madison added that fans have confronted her about the on-screen moment.

“People have come up to me, and they’re like, ‘I hate that this happened. I’m mad at you.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t write the script!’ I didn’t want to do it.”

The actress’s candid reflections highlight her growing appreciation for the passionate Scream fan base and the emotional depth of the franchise’s legacy.