Randy Meeks

Randy Meeks
Scream character
Jamie Kennedy as Randy Meeks in Scream 2
First appearance
Last appearance
Created byKevin Williamson
Portrayed byJamie Kennedy
In-universe information
GenderMale
Occupation
  • High school student (formerly)
  • Video store clerk (formerly)
  • College student
Significant others
Relatives
Location
  • Woodsboro, California, US
  • Windsor College, Ohio, US
StatusDeceased

Randy Meeks is a fictional character in the Scream franchise. Randy first appears in Scream (1996) as a high school student with a passion for the horror genre. He is portrayed by Jamie Kennedy. A self-professed "geek", Randy provides comic relief during his appearances throughout the franchise, using his in-depth knowledge of horror film plots and clichés to define the series of murders that occur in the franchise. Director Wes Craven fought for Kennedy's casting for the film, as the studio planned for a bigger name to take the role. Despite Kennedy's lack of experience, Craven got his way, citing that actor Johnny Depp was not a big name when cast in A Nightmare on Elm Street.

The character of Randy is known for a scene where he breaks down the rules of surviving a horror film – those being that you must never have sex, consume drugs or alcohol, or say "I'll be right back" when leaving a room.[1] While Randy survives the events of the first Scream, he is killed off in its 1997 sequel, Scream 2, in a controversial decision that screenwriter Kevin Williamson would eventually admit regret over.[2] Randy would make a cameo in Scream 3 in the form of a pre-recorded video message left for Sidney Prescott.[3]

  1. ^ Collis, Clark (20 December 2021). "Can you survive this oral history of Scream's 'horror rules' scene?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  2. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (9 December 2022). "'Scream 2' Screenwriter Regrets Killing off Jamie Kennedy's Character: He Should Have Been 'Legacy'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  3. ^ Shuster, Andrew (1 October 2021). "Scream Writer Reminds Fans Randy's Dead - But Loves Your Survival Theories". CBR. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2024.