Kenny Brown

Kenneth "Kenny" Brown (credited simply as "Kenny", a Scream (2022) Easter egg) was a supporting character in the original Scream (1996 film). He was Gale Weathers' original cameraman.

He faithfully aided her in covering the 1996 Woodsboro Murders until he got his throat slashed by Ghostface (Stu Macher in costume). In his final dying moment, he aided Sidney Prescott, pointing out the backdoor of the news van.

He was the sixth and final victim of the original Woodsboro Murders, the first Ghostface killing spree. Following his death, there was not another known murder in Woodsboro for 15 years, until Marnie Cooper.

Also following his death, Gale was in shock and distress. She later exploited his murder, exaggerating his death in her 1997 book, The Woodsboro Murders, stating that he was gutted (which was likely translated into screen for the adapted slasher film, Stab). His successor, Joel, expressed concern over enduring the same fate, leading him to quit his job and skip town, until he returned later on.

He was portrayed by W. Earl Brown.

Biography[]

The Woodsboro Murders (1996)[]

Kenny arrived in Woodsboro with Gale Weathers the day after Woodsboro High School students Casey Becker and Steven Orth were murdered. He filmed Gale outside of the school where she was seen by Sidney Prescott giving a broadcast on the murders with Gale saying, "No arrest has been made and the murderer could strike again."

That night, Kenny and Gale were among the plethora of reporters outside the Woodsboro Sheriff's Department. Kenny caught on tape Sidney emerging from the police station after she was attacked at her home. Sidney punched Gale in the face when she confronted the teenager about the attack and the subject turned to Gale's book about the murder of Sidney's mother, Maureen Prescott. Kenny caught Gale on her fall with another officer on scene saying, "Nice shot", redirecting this statement meaning how he captured the footage (but secretly meaning Sidney's right hook to Gale).

Gale and Kenny went to Stu's party for footage being uninvited.

He eventually let Sidney into the van while she was being chased by the killer. Gale was not present due to a walk with Dewey. They viewed footage of the killer about to stab Randy Meeks. However, Ghostface becomes distracted by Sidney screaming outdoors, due to a thirty-second delay of transmission. Kenny leaves to go help Randy, but as soon as he steps out of the van, Ghostface appears and slashes his throat. Kenny turns around, muttering, "The door" to Sidney and points to the door for her to escape. He then collapses and dies.

Aftermath[]

After Sidney escapes from the news van, Ghostface puts Kenny's corpse on the top of the news van, where his body appears on the windshield, before Gale crashes the van. Kenny's corpse falls off and crushes a fence. Gale then wanted revenge on Billy and Stu and she also felt so sorry and regretted all the bad treatment she gave to Kenny.

Legacy[]

The Windsor College Murders (1997)[]

Gale's new cameraman, Joel, learned about Kenny's fate and panics, Despite the fact that he was very loyal towards Gale in the previous movie, she still embellished on his death in her book by claiming Kenny was gutted. She tells Joel she made it up and his throat was actually slashed. He replies, "Gutted, Slashed, the guy ain't in the union anymore." Gale tells him she cannot do this without him.

His original murder was not copied or mimicked in the events of the murders.

The Woodsboro Massacre Remake (2011)[]

Robbie Mercer's character is a nod to Kenny. Robbie spends his days recording events of his high school experience while being a horror film enthusiast. Gale gains a certain rapport with Robbie in her initial bidding for their help and repaying them to visit their school cinema club by him saying "I love you", even after she verbally abuses him, as she did to Kenny.

In the original, Kenny tried to warn Sidney by saying, "Door..." with his throat slashed and fell dead. Robbie tried to warn Sidney, Jill, and Kirby by a single word, "Run..." and fell dead.

Robbie Mercer further implies the past subtle co-existing connection of Kenny and Randy's original characters.

The Woodsboro Legacy Murders (2022)[]

His surname is revealed to be Brown, from Tara Carpenter's Quick Search results of the actors who portrayed the roles of the Stab (1997) characters.

The New York Murders (2023)[]

In the shrine created by Richie Kirsch, Kenny's Top Story jacket and cap he wore can be seen displayed on a mannequin, along with the camera he used, which Chad Meeks-Martin later used to throw at Ghostface when chasing him, Samantha, and Tara.

Relationships[]

Quotes[]

• (To Gale) "My name isn't Jesus."
• (To himself after fixing the camera) "You're a genius!"
• (To Gale) "Bitch Goddess!"
• (About Randy) "Behind ya, kid! Behind ya!"
• (On the videotape) "We're on thirty-second delay..."
• (To Sidney, also his last words) "The door."

Trivia[]

• He was described as "an earnest young chap on the chubby side" in an early script for Scream (1996).
• It is unknown who played him in the Stab franchise or even the first film.
  • The actor's name is cut off before Tara Carpenter scrolls long enough, but it is revealed that his surname is Brown, a reference to his Scream actor, W. Earl Brown.
• Kenny is the first male victim and victim overall in the Scream franchise whose death occurs nearby a vehicle. His death would be homaged and succeeded by:
  • Officer Andrews (killed inside car) and Richards (ran over, impaled) in Scream 2
  • Ross Hoss (outside) and Anthony Perkins (impaled inside, died after exiting car)
  • Rebecca Walters (stabbed outside, died falling on top of news van)
    • With the deaths of Ross Hoss and Anthony Perkins, also in Scream 4.
  • Manny (killed via trapped inside burning car, died after it exploded) in Season 3 of the TV series.
  • Vince Schneider (outside his car) in Scream (2022).
• Kenny's signature of eating Cheetos in the original film, is referenced in Scream VI.
  • Ethan Landry shown eating regular Cheetos, while in the back of a white FBI van of Kirby Reed, alongside Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin, the latter three all being generational Woodsboro Murders survivors, as Ethan was secretly Ghostface #11.
    • With the Meeks-Martin twin siblings being Randy's niece and nephew of who Kenny saw on the monitor back in the 1996 murders who was sitting on the couch as Ghostface appeared behind, with Randy oblivious, from inside his van just prior to Kenny's death being witnessed by Sidney Prescott who had come to him for help, as Ghostface appeared to the van because of the 30 second delay broadcast of the camera inside 261 Turner Lane to the van.
  • Joel, another cameraman of Kenny's former employer, Gale Weathers, referenced this in Scream 2, following Randy Meeks's murder while he'd been away from his news van, albeit he is carrying Dunkin Donuts instead.
• He is the second revealed character to have the same surname as their actor, followed by Emma Roberts as Jill Roberts.
• Despite treating him with disrespect frequently, Gale calls him "Kenneth" affectionately once, after successfully sneaking a video camera into the party.
• Kenny's death was one of the deaths that Wes Craven cut, in order to avoid an NC-17 Rating.
• In Stab, Kenny's character was gutted, following the change Gale made as an artistic license.

Gallery[]

Kenny Brown has a Photo Gallery.

Appearances[]

• Scream (1996 film)

Character Guide[]