Skeet Ulrich Admitted That He Didn't Know "Scream" Was A Comedy Until They Started Shooting

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Warning: Spoilers follow for the film Scream.

One of the things that makes Scream the perfect horror movie is that it's essentially a comedy, too.

Drew Barrymore screams while holding a phone to her ear
Dimension Films / courtesy Everett Collection

But for Scream star Skeet Ulrich, who plays Billy Loomis in the film, it wasn't immediately obvious that such a scary movie would also be, y'know, funny.

Skeet Ulrich climbs through the window in Scream
Dimension Films / courtesy Everett Collection

The actor recently told Entertainment Weekly that, when he started shooting with co-star Matthew Lillard, he was confused by the "humorous moments" that Lillard was bringing out of the script.

Ulrich stands next to Neve Campbell
Dimension Films / courtesy Everett Collection

“I think part of it was the mindset of Billy and me getting into that mindset,” he explained. “I saw it as this very serious documentary about two killers in high school and I was researching serial killers and the psychology of them, so I didn’t really key into the humor of the story until take one of day one.”

The cast of Scream sits by a fountain
Dimension Films / courtesy Everett Collection

When it came to filming the fountain scene early on in the movie, Ulrich says "I just remember thinking, 'What are they doing?' Don't they know?...Like, 'This isn't funny. This isn't supposed to be funny.' And man, was I wrong."

Ulrich and Lillard grab Jamie Kennedy
Dimension Films / courtesy Everett Collection

That's OK, Skeet. Sometimes it takes a minute to get a good joke or two.

Barrymore screams while looking at the Scream killer in the window
Dimension Films / courtesy Everett Collection

Read the entire interview here.