As Scream turns 30, we sat down with Dewey Riley himself to look back on working with Wes Craven, the incredible chemistry of the cast, and how the film changed horror forever.

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David Arquette was there from the very beginning as Dewey Riley, working alongside Wes Craven and a cast that would go on to become one of the most beloved ensembles in horror. And looking back, he remembers everything from Wes's specific directions all the way to the cast driving a go-kart through the hotel hallways.

Three decades later, the classic film is still finding new audiences, and David will be revisiting Dewey on the Scream 30th-anniversary screening tour.

To celebrate the milestone, we sat down on Zoom to reflect on David's favorite behind-the-scenes memories and what Scream means to him.

Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

David: When I first read the script, I loved it. I immediately got how [screenwriter] Kevin Williamson understood it, and that he was presenting horror movies in a way they hadn't been before. He came up with his own rules. I found it so funny, witty, and thoughtful — and knowing that Wes Craven was going to direct it, you knew it was going to be scary, and top-notch. It was the kind of script that everyone in Hollywood wanted to be a part of.

They wanted to see me for either Billy, or it might have been Stu or Randy, one of the other high schoolers. But I just loved the role of Dewey, and I told Wes that. He was like, "Wow, that's really interesting. I never thought of that."

Dewey was written more as this big jock who's gonna be a meathead. I knew I could definitely bring the meathead part, but I felt I could bring a lot to the role. I loved the idea of a police officer who gets no respect.

Wes said he would think about it, and then he came back, and luckily it all worked out. It was such an amazing film to be a part of. It really did change the genre and reignited this whole love of horror movies.

David: I remember filming the scene where Dewey and Gale are looking for Sidney's dad's car, and a car is speeding towards us. We jump out of the way and roll, and then I land on top of her, and we start to kiss. I say, "Sorry, I'm on duty," and I think either Wes or I came up with that line, because it wasn't in the script. Gale says, "Is that what you're looking for?" and I respond, "My whole life."

During the second take, Wes came up and said, "Listen, when she asks you, 'Is that what you're looking for?' I want you to look at her like you've been searching for this woman your entire life, and say your line."

It was just such a sweet way to direct me. It was so thoughtful. That was a really memorable scene.

David: There's that scene out at the school where I say, "I'm 25. I was 24 for a whole year." That was a pivotal moment for us. I'm not sure if it was our first scene acting together; it may have been, but that scene was such a big production. We had all these extras and cop cars, and the first murder had just happened. There was this real excitement. 

They came up to me and asked, "Do you want sunglasses?" I was like, "Sure, cops love sunglasses!" It's funny because when Dewey's wearing them, he's trying to be cool, and then he sees Gale, and they have this connection. 

After one of the takes, Wes asked me, "How old are you, David?" I was like, "I'm 25, and I would've been 24." He asked, "You know Courteney from her show?" I said, "Yeah, I'm a fan." 

He told me, "So it's just that, just say that your age, and you know, you're telling her that you're a fan too. You know what I mean?" That was another really sweet moment of Wes directing. It was really easy because Courteney's character, Gale, was so cutthroat, so funny, and so conniving. She did such a wonderful job in all of them, but especially in the first one. 

David: Wes told me, "You're gonna have an ice cream cone in this scene." I'm not even sure it was in the script, but the sheriff was smoking while I was eating an ice cream cone. I thought it was really funny. I was like, "I love ice cream. This is great!" 

I think Wes planned it so that every time the sheriff smoked, Dewey licked the ice cream. At the end of the scene, the sheriff puts out his cigarette, and Wes asked, "Why don't you just throw down your ice cream and step on it?" I was like, "Really, Wes? You don't think that's too over the top?" He said, "If it is, we won't use it." 

So we tried it. It was funny, but it was too over-the-top. A lot of people have asked me what flavor that ice cream was, and it was strawberry.

David: Everybody clicked. Everybody got along. There was nobody that was mean-spirited or rude. We all laughed together, and we all had our own relationships as we got to know each other.

We hung out in my room at the DoubleTree Hotel, where I put up blacklight posters and lava lamps. At one point, I bought a go-kart, and we drove it through the hallways. It was a wonderful vibe on set.

David: The scenes with Ghostface were really interesting. It was like seeing a Jason or a Freddy or somebody right there, because it's typically a stuntman, and they're usually big. Lee Waddell was the Ghostface in the opening scene with Drew Barrymore, and there have been different stuntmen throughout the years.

There are certain ways Ghostface tilts his head really slow, or they'll spend hours just perfecting the gleam on the knife, and certain things like that. Even his robe is a little more detailed than the kind you buy in the store.

All the people who could be suspects wear the same kind of boots in the movie, so you would never be able to say, "Oh, they had different boots on." The idea is that they change really quickly, but they don't change their boots. I always found those little details pretty cool. 

David: Wes invited me to the set, and the sun was going down, but they were treating it like the sun was coming up after a long night of murder. He said, "David, you're gonna come out of the doorway there. They're gonna be pushing you on a gurney, and you're gonna be dead."

I was like, "Oh no, Wes, that's terrible. That's horrible!"

He's said, "I know, but then in the second take, you're gonna come out, and you're gonna give a little thumbs up. We won't know if you'll make it or not. It'll be up to the audience at a test screening to decide."

It was just so sweet of him to do that, to have faith in me, and to have the insight to know that Dewey could be a fan favorite. He was an incredible guy.

David: Dewey definitely evolved, especially in the fifth film. They sent me the script, and I was flipping through it, and I was thinking, Dewey's got a good role in this one! Then I got to that part, and I was like, "Oh no!"

They had written that he was drinking a lot, and all this stuff. I was thinking, I just don't think that's Dewey. He can be heartbroken, and his life could be falling apart, but I don't see him like that. We even filmed a scene at the bar where he's super drunk, and they cut it out or cut it down a lot.

Dewey was really hurt, you know, he was really traumatized by all the murder and pain he had gone through — like losing his sister, which he never talked about enough, in my opinion. He wanted to protect Sidney, and he lost his relationship with Gale. I think it all really weighed on him toward the end.

It's kind of a sad evolution; it's an "anti-popular" thing to happen in a movie where a character really doesn't win. It's a sad thing for Dewey, in my opinion, because he's the good guy.

There were moments in Scream 3 and Scream 4 where we sat down and had these conversations about what we think should happen. In both of those instances, I asked, "What if Dewey's the murderer?" And Wes said, "Dewey can never be the murderer. He just can't. It's not in his nature."

I think there was an element of Dewey's humor that was definitely like Wes's.

David: If I could go back, I think I'd want to relive Dewey's first scene at the school. I think that scene had all the characters there, so that would have been really fun to see everyone together interacting.

Also, the scene where they discover Sidney's dad's car — that moment when Wes directed me was just so sweet. It was vulnerable and so thoughtful.

David: I will be watching it again during the screenings, but it is hard for me to watch it. It brings up a lot of emotions. It's been such a pivotal film for me in my personal life and my career. But it's really cathartic. I get to see Wes — well, not literally, even though he makes an appearance as the janitor, dressed like Freddy Krueger in one scene. 

It's nice to see the impact it's had on people and how much people love it. I get to see people's Scream tattoos, take pictures with them, and hear stories — like this movie being the first time they went on a date, and now they're married, and these are their kids. 

It's really beautiful, and the fact that it's still loved and still lasting — I feel very honored to be a part of it. 

Don't miss the Scream 30th-anniversary tour starting Oct 8, featuring a screening of the iconic horror film, followed by an in-depth, moderated interview and Q&A with David.