‘Scream’: Which Actor Does the Voice of Ghostface?
Robert Englund will always be known as Freddy Krueger. Brad Dourif will forever be remembered as the voice of Chucky. But what separates those two iconic slashers from most is that they have been defined by a single actor. In the case of Ghostface from the Scream movies, many fans might assume the same principle doesn’t apply. However, one actor has long occupied the role of Ghostface in those movies, including 2022’s Scream.
‘Scream’ introduced a new horror movie icon
In the mid-1990s, slasher movies had essentially passed their prime. Horror icons such as Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger had run their course, with seemingly no new characters to replace them. Then came 1996’s Scream, with its masked, hood Ghostface. And instantly, that image became an indelible bit of horror iconography. Horror fans had another famous slasher to add to the decades-old pantheon of modern movie monsters.
Of course, what makes Ghostface distinctive is that their identity remains unknown. Unlike most other horror icons, there’s an air of mystery behind it. And with each entry in the Scream franchise, the person — or, in some cases, people — behind the mask changes. But while the “whodunnit” aspect of the movie series indicates there’s no consistency in the performance, that’s a deceptive notion that robs one actor of the credit he’s owed.
The same actor plays Ghostface throughout
Although many fans might not realize it, Roger L. Jackson has played Ghostface since the beginning. In all the movies, Jackson provides the character’s voice, or rather, the voice that comes from the voice-changing device the various killers use. Jackson even returned — alongside the iconic mask — for the third and final season of MTV’s Scream TV series. In the first two seasons, Mike Vaughn provided the voice of those masked killers.
Jackson is a longtime voice actor who has been working on video games, television, and film since the early 1990s. Aside from Scream, perhaps his best-known work is playing the characters of Mojo Jojo and Butch on The Powerpuff Girls. He’s voiced them dating back to 1998 and reprised the roles on the 2016 reboot TV series. Jackson’s other credits include Dexter’s Laboratory and the Call of Duty games, where he again played Ghostface.
‘Scream’ reunites the cast of the original movie
Longtime Scream fans will be thrilled to know Jackson is indeed back as Ghostface for the upcoming fifth movie. While the returns of Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette are exciting, the new film wouldn’t be the same without Jackson voicing the masked killer.
The big mystery surrounding the new Scream, as always, is who is behind the mask this time around. Countless fan theories peg one of the original stars — or perhaps even the seemingly dead Stu (Matthew Lillard) — as this new Ghostface. But as long as Jackson gives the character its voice, fans will likely be along for the ride.
