Hitting the small screen in 2015, MTV’sScreamwas an attempt to bring the popular horror franchise into homes on a weekly basis. Lasting for three seasons, the heart of the series was undoubtedlyWilla Fitzgerald, who portrayed Emma Duval, the target of Ghostface’s rage in Seasons 1 and 2. Now, eight years removed from her part in the franchise, Fitzgerald saysshe was never trying to play the role of Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott, but rather sought to bring something fresh to her character of Duval.
Appearing onCollider Ladies Night, Fitzgerald spoke about how the television version ofScream– for better or worse – looked toseparate itself from the movies. People immediately noticed the change in Ghostface’s iconic mask, which became a hot button topic among fans who either loved or hated the series. For her, she believes the creators of the show were smart in trying to make it its own thing.
“I think that the show really was, obviously, taking a leap by changing the mask and changing these fundamental things about the franchise, but I think it was also maybe smart in doing that because it did make it its own thing and not just a TV version of the movies, which are great and so distinct and so clearly their own different thing. So, I feel like they knew what they were doing.”
As the focal point ofScream’sfirst two seasons, Fitzgerald found herself in the precarious position of having to fill the void left by the absence of the films. It had been four years sinceScream 4debuted in theaters by the time the television series came along, and there would be a further seven more before the premiere of 2022’sScream. That being said, she knew what she was getting herself into, and tried to steer clear of the divisive online chatter which labeled her a Neve Campbell ripoff, something Fitzgerald says couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Even when I was doing it, I feel like I probably had less of an understanding or awareness of that because I had seen the movies and also I didn’t want to be trying to play Neve Campbell’s part. I was also aware of trying to do my own thing. But yeah, divisive, I’m sure. I steered clear of any reading material that divisive.”
Willa Fitzgerald Shines in Strange Darling
When her part in theScreamfranchise came to a conclusion in 2016, Fitzgerald continued to build her resume, biding her time until another role that would put her front and center came along. While she had appeared in a number of film and TV projects, it wasn’t untilReacherin 2022 that she once again found herself in the spotlight as Roscoe Conklin, Alan Ritchson’s second in the Prime Video series. She quickly became a fan favorite, and now she’s getting the chance to shine once more in the recently released thriller,Strange Darling.
It’s a role that Fitzgerald seemed born to play. Starring as the Lady in JT Mollner’s take onthe serial killer sub-genre, there’s no wasted movement. Every facial expression, every twitch, and every bloody scene serves its purpose as the narrative unfolds in jarring fashion, putting the 33-year-old star at the center of it all for what truly is a remarkable performance.
Strange Darling Filmmakers Break Down Their Intense Curveball of a Thriller
Director JT Mollner and DP Giovanni Ribisi go deep into their visually stunning, absolutely thrilling new movie about a woman being hunted down.
Despite the divisive reception toScream, there’s no doubt that Fitzgerald did the right thing by not trying to be Neve Campbell, as in the year’s following, she managed to come into her own as one of Hollywood’s most versatile performers. Things can only go up from here, as next she’ll appear alongside Sylvester Stallone in the crime-thrillerAlarum, which is currently in post-production.
Check out our interview with Fitzgerald below about her new movie,Strange Darling.
