Scott Foley had the time of his life filming Scream 3 — his big-screen debut — and more than two decades later, he still talks about it with genuine excitement.
In a recent interview with SiriusXM, the actor shared stories from the set, his surprise at discovering his character’s secret, and fond memories of working with the late Wes Craven.
“It is an honor [to be the killer in a Scream film]. Scream 3 is sort of the stepchild — I don’t know, the bastard — of the Scream trilogy… What are there, nine films now? I really like that movie, though, and I think they did a good job. For a third film in a trilogy when there was only, you know, one planned, I think they did a really good job.”
(For the record, at the time we were awaiting the fifth entry — and yes, the trilogy was always part of the plan.)
Finding out he was the killer
Foley revealed that even he didn’t know his character’s true nature until production was already underway.
“When I was cast, I had no idea I was the killer. They didn’t tell me until about two weeks into production, when the producer, Marianne Maddalena, said, ‘Hey, you know, right?’ And I was like, ‘I know what? Are there hot dogs at craft service? What do I know?’”
“And she said, ‘You’re the killer.’ I was like, ‘Oh! That’s great!’ I went back to my room thinking, ‘Oh man, that’s so cool!’ Like, if you’re in a Scream film — be the killer!”
A perfectly meta discovery for a film that’s all about secrets.
Poetry with Parker Posey
Of course, no conversation about Scream 3 is complete without Parker Posey.
“The movie within a movie was really smart, and I have such fond memories,” Foley said. “I haven’t seen Parker Posey since we shot that. I think I was 26 when we did that, and she was, if you’ll remember, around that time the ‘Indie Movie Queen.’ She’d done movie after movie.”
“There were times — I’ve such fond memories — of after lunch being on set and Parker would just grab my hand and take me down to a lawn, and she’d read poetry to me. I sat there thinking, ‘What is happening? This is amazing!’ I had such a crush on her, and she was the nicest, kindest person.”
That story alone could’ve been a deleted scene.
Remembering Wes Craven
Foley also reflected on working with the Scream family and the loss of the franchise’s creator.
“I got to work with Courteney Cox again — I did Cougar Town with her. We keep in touch. I see David Arquette around town… Well, not anymore, because I’m not there. But it was a good group of people, and I was sad a few years ago when Wes passed away.”
Two decades later, his warmth and gratitude still echo — proof that Scream 3 may be the most misunderstood chapter, but it’s remembered by its cast with pure affection.
