Almost 30 years later, Matthew Lillard has addressed his rather confusing cameo in Scream 2, which was set just one year after his Scream character, Stu Macher, seemingly died in the first movie.
"So in Scream 2 I was friends with the whole cast, and they were shooting at the Pasadena," explained Lillard to Screen Rant Plus. "I went to go visit, and at some point Wes was like, in a very Wes Craven way, 'Why don't you just walk around in the background,' and I was like, 'What?' And he was like, 'Yeah, walk through. It'll be fun. Just walk through.'"
In a blink-and-you 'll-miss-it moment near the beginning of Scream 2, Lillard can be seen in the background at a college party attended by Sidney and her friends. Lillard, who at the time had bleached blonde hair, is seen giving Mickey (Timothy Olyphant) a hug, which is pretty ironic as Mickey ends up being one of the sequel's killers.
Many fans thought this was a passing of the torch from the original Ghostface to the next, with others believing it was a hint that Stu Macher was still alive. Nevertheless, Lillard says he still gets asked about it. "People are like, 'Sign my Scream 2 poster,' and I'm like, 'I'm not in it,' and they're like, 'Yes you are,'" added Lillard.
However, Lillard makes his return as the eccentric killer in Scream 7. The star had been campaigning for his comeback for many years and was finally brought back by Kevin Williamson using the power of technology. Many fans believe that Stu will return once again and will act as the antagonist in Scream 8. However, Williamson has confirmed that Stu really is dead, and that it is "far-fetched" to think otherwise.
Scream 7 follows final girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) as she and her teenage daughter, Tatum, become the targets of a new Ghostface killer. Lillard and Campbell are joined by other original stars, including Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, David Arquette as Dewey Riley, and Scott Foley as Roman Bridger, despite the latter two seemingly dying earlier in the franchise.
Scream 7 is out in theatres now. For more, check out our ranking of the best Scream movies, and read our Scream 7 review.
