Original Scream Movie Actor Regrets Asking Wes Craven To Kill Him Off

One Scream franchise star who requested to die now wishes they had survived. The slasher series follows various characters targeted by killers who don the now-iconic Ghostface costume, beginning with Sidney Prescott’s (Neve Campbell) fight for survival in the original 1996 feature. Scream 6 is the latest installment in the franchise and followed a new generation of survivors as they evaded another Ghostface killer in New York City.

While reflecting on his previous roles in a GQ video (via ComicBook.com), Liev Schreiber opens up about his time portraying framed killer-turned-celebrity Cotton Weary across three Scream movies. Schreiber explains that during Scream 3‘s production, he wasn’t keen on continuing his career as part of a large franchise, leading to him requesting to be killed off. Check out Schreiber’s full response below:

“At that point in my career, I didn’t really fully understand the value of being in a franchise. To be frank, I was like, ‘Let me get out of this while I can. Get out while things are going well. I just thought it would be fun to be one of the iconic kills from the top. I was working and doing a lot of other stuff in New York in theater, and I was just like, ‘How many times can I play this character?’ Now I realize you can play that character as many times as they want you to.

“I suggested they knocked me off. Part of the device of the movies is that somebody in the first five minutes gets killed because you don’t expect them to get killed. Which, now, I’m kicking myself for because I would have liked to be in Scream 5.”

Cotton Weary’s Pivotal Place In The Scream Franchise’s Story

Cotton is unique among the Scream franchise’s establishing murder victims due to his important place within the franchise’s overall narrative. Schreiber was first only seen in 1996’s Scream through television broadcasts, as Cotton was arrested a year prior after being framed for the murder of Sidney’s mother, a crime Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) sets out to solve. When the true culprits reveal themselves in Scream‘s climax, Cotton is freed and plays a larger role in the 1997 sequel.

In Scream 2, Cotton sets out to become famous, even trying to take part in a television interview with Sidney to tell the story of the Woodsboro murders. His pursuit of Sidney’s cooperation leads to him becoming involved when a new Ghostface killer emerges, with Cotton ultimately saving Sidney from the copycat killer. While Sidney would credit Cotton with saving her and nudge reporters in his direction, his newfound fame would only last two years. Cotton and his girlfriend Christine (Kelly Rutherford) become victims of a new Ghostface determined on tracking Sidney down in Scream 3‘s opening moments.

While Scream‘s ongoing cast of characters have become beloved in their own right, its opening victims themselves can be just as memorable, as the establishing kills help set out key developments or twists. In Cotton’s case, his murder established the advanced voice changer that Scream 3‘s killer used and raised the stakes higher for a film that concluded Sidney’s initial three-film arc. While later films featured surprising returning cast members, it is unlikely that Schreiber’s Cotton Weary could make such a spectacular return, though this may not stop many fans from wondering what role an older Cotton would play.

Source: GQ (via ComicBook.com)