The Modest Reason Tori Spelling Felt 'Embarrassed' To Be Included In Scream 2's Photo Shoots

In the original Scream, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is asked who she would like to portray her in a film adaptation of her life. She jokingly suggests Tori Spelling, who was then starring on Beverly Hills 90210. In a humorous twist, Scream 2 reveals that Hollywood actually made the movie and cast Spelling as the lead.

The sequel even includes a segment showing Spelling promoting the film through an interview. In it, she inadvertently spoils the first movies major twist while reenacting a key scene, now with a more comical flair. This brief cameo is Spellings only appearance, and she never interacts directly with the main cast. Because of this, she later admitted feeling somewhat guilty about her prominent presence in the movies promotional materials.

In a 2025 interview, Spelling recalled, "When Scream 2 was coming out, Rolling Stone wanted to feature all the female cast members, and they asked me to be part of it. I thought, 'Oh my gosh, are you serious?'" Although she enjoyed the experience, she was less thrilled when her solo photo ended up on the magazines cover instead of one featuring the main cast. "I just remember going to the premiere with my head down, feeling so embarrassed. The others deserved the spotlight, and I got the cover," she explained. The cover shot showed her recreating the iconic shower scene from Psycho.

Spellings embarrassment, however, fits right into the Scream franchises history of playful deception in marketing. The first film famously misled audiences by highlighting Drew Barrymore as the main character only to kill her off in the opening scene. Similarly, Spelling appearing on the cover misrepresented the focus of Scream 2, adding to the films element of surprise for new viewers.

Misleading promotion has been a recurring theme in the series, from minor bait-and-switch moments to bold misdirection. For example, the Scream VI trailer shows Ghostface threatening Mindy (Jasmine Savoy Brown) on a laddera scene that never actually occurs in the film. Such tactics continue the franchises tradition of using marketing to mislead audiences, keeping them guessing and entertained.

Author: Riley Thompson