Scream 2 is perhaps the best film in the series, while the Nancy Loomis reveal is still one of the best plot twists in movie history. Timothy Olyphant, who played an instrumental role in the film’s climactic ending as Mickey Altieri, reflected on the “overwhelming” experience of working on the sequel. With a career spanning more than two decades, the 55-year-old has carved out a successful career in film and TV, including Justified, the Santa Clarita Diet, Deadwood, and Hitman.
Olyphant starred as one of the two killers in Scream 2 and became immortalised as one of the thirteen characters to put on the famous Ghostface mask. The actor discussed the gig in an interview with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, courtesy of a story from ComicBook. Skip to the thirty-three minute mark in the clip below.
Olyphant described working on Scream 2 as “overwhelming and exciting, and that’s early. That’s me just trying to keep my head above water and pretend like I’m not freaking out inside.”
“That was quite a job. I was still maybe lying on my resume when I got that gig; I hadn’t done a lot. I auditioned at least twice, maybe more to get the gig,” he continued, calling the role a “huge opportunity.”
“I showed up and everybody on that set was people I’d been watching on television and film. Liev Schrieber made quite an impression; I was like, ‘This guy is the real deal.’ Laurie Metcalf, and just everybody involved. It was big.”
Speaking about Scream 2’s big finale, Olyphant reminisced an “intense” conversation with Wes Craven, the series creator. In the film, Olyphant’s character, Mickey Altieri, is revealed as one of the two Ghostface killers. “I just start freaking out….I just remember being so intense, and feeling, like, I’ve got to get this right.”
Suffice it to say, Olyphant did just that.
