One of the most memorable movie openings of all time, Drew Barrymore‘s Casey Becker was killed off in the opening sequence of Wes Craven’s Scream, but did you know that Barrymore based her brief appearance in the film on 1983’s Scarface? Barrymore’s Casey Becker was modeled after Michelle Pfeiffer in the classic movie, particularly her character’s hairstyle.
What does that have to do with What Lies Beneath? Well it turns out that four years after Scream, Pfeiffer brought the connection full circle by drawing inspiration from Barrymore’s Scream character when it came time to star alongside Harrison Ford in the 2000 thriller!
Barrymore and Pfeiffer bonded over the full circle connection on an episode of “The Drew Barrymore Show” this week, wherein Pfeiffer touched upon her own Scream inspiration.
“Here was a woman who was being stalked, in her home, terrified… and I was prepping for [What Lies Beneath] around the same time I saw you in [Scream]. And your terror was so real. It was so real. And I thought, ‘Oh, that’s it.’ So… I copied you. Completely copied you.”
“You have justified that entire performance. I think I might surprise you right now,” Barrymore chimed in, showing a side-by-side photo of herself in Scream alongside Pfeiffer in Scarface. “That was what I took to the wig-maker. I said, ‘Can you make me Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface?’ You were my inspiration.”
You can watch the fun interview below. The Scream conversation starts at 3:55!
Michelle Pfeiffer in ‘What Lies Beneath’
Michelle Pfeiffer in ‘Scarface’