MTV made a bold move back in 2015. They decided to take one of the most beloved meta-horror franchises in cinema history and turn it into a weekly soap opera with a high body count. It shouldn't have worked. Honestly, a lot of purists hated the fact that the iconic Ghostface mask was replaced with that weird, surgical Brandon James mask. But for two seasons, the cast of Scream TV show—specifically the core group known as the "Lakewood Six"—actually managed to capture that specific brand of millennial angst and slasher dread.
Willa Fitzgerald led the pack as Emma Duval. She was our "Final Girl," though she played it with a bit more vulnerability and less of the hardened edge we saw from Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott. Then the show just... stopped. Well, it didn't stop, but it rebooted entirely for a third season with an all-new cast and the original mask, leaving the Lakewood storyline dangling in the wind. Fans were gutted. You've probably seen these actors pop up in your favorite Netflix binges or indie films since then, but tracking their trajectory reveals a lot about how the "Scream" legacy helped launch several serious careers.
The Evolution of Willa Fitzgerald: From Lakewood to Reacher
Willa Fitzgerald didn't just disappear after Emma Duval survived her final encounter with the killer. If you’ve been watching big-budget streaming hits lately, you've definitely seen her. She’s grown into a powerhouse.
She landed a massive role in the first season of Reacher on Amazon Prime Video. Playing Roscoe Conklin, she held her own against Alan Ritchson’s massive physical presence. It was a complete departure from the "damsel in distress" energy of Lakewood. She was a cop. She was tough. She was smart. Critics noticed, too. Before that, she led the cast of Dare Me, a dark, twisted cheerleading noir that deserved way more than the one season it got.
Fitzgerald also showed up in Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher. That’s basically the gold standard for modern horror actors now. Playing a young Madeline Usher, she proved she could handle complex, period-accurate dialogue and high-concept gothic horror. She’s transitioned from a "teen scream" lead to a legitimate dramatic actor who can carry a series. It's kinda wild to think she started out running away from a guy in a rubber mask.
Bex Taylor-Klaus and the Power of Representation
Bex Taylor-Klaus was the undisputed heart of the show for many fans. Playing Audrey Jensen, they brought a cynical, rebellious, yet deeply wounded energy to the screen. Audrey was complicated. She wasn't just the "edgy friend"—she had a dark history with the killer that provided the show's biggest emotional hooks.
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Bex has stayed incredibly busy. They are a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and have carved out a niche in both live-action and voice acting. You might recognize their voice as Pidge in Voltron: Legendary Defender. That was a massive role that spanned several years. They also appeared in 13 Reasons Why and the film Dumplin’ alongside Jennifer Aniston.
There’s something about Bex’s screen presence that feels incredibly authentic. They don't do "polished Hollywood" very well, and that’s a compliment. They bring a grit to their roles. In the cast of Scream TV show, they were the one who felt most like a real person you'd actually know in high school. That authenticity has translated into a very steady career in an industry that often tries to box actors in.
Carlson Young: The Mean Girl Who Stole the Show
Brooke Maddox was supposed to be the trope. The blonde, rich, popular girl who dies in the first twenty minutes. But Carlson Young did something special. She turned Brooke into the most developed character on the show. By the end of season two, Brooke was the one everyone was rooting for. She was funny, fierce, and surprisingly deep.
Since the show ended, Young has taken the "do it yourself" route. She didn't just wait for roles; she started making her own films. She wrote, directed, and starred in The Blazing World, which premiered at Sundance. It’s a surreal, visually stunning psychological horror-fantasy. It’s not "slasher" horror—it’s much more elevated and experimental.
She recently appeared in the rom-com Upgraded on Prime Video. She still has that impeccable comedic timing. Seeing her go from a slasher victim to a Sundance filmmaker is probably the coolest trajectory of any of the Lakewood Six members. She’s proof that being in a teen horror show isn't a dead end; it can be a launching pad for serious creative ambition.
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The Supporting Players: Where are Noah and Jake?
John Karna played Noah Foster, the show’s resident horror nerd and meta-commentator. He was the Randy Meeks of the TV universe. Karna was perfect in the role because he felt genuinely obsessed with the genre. After Scream, he’s done some steady work, including a stint on Chicago Fire and the legal drama Lady in the Lake. He hasn't quite had that "breakout" leading role like Fitzgerald, but he remains a reliable character actor.
Then there’s Tom Maden, who played Jake Fitzgerald. "The Jake." He was the lovable jock who had a truly gruesome exit at the start of season two. Maden has mostly stuck to TV movies and smaller guest spots in shows like Famous in Love. He’s got that classic leading-man look that keeps him working consistently in the Hallmark and Lifetime circuits, which is a very lucrative, if less "prestige," corner of the industry.
Why the Season 3 Reboot Changed Everything
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. When MTV moved the show to VH1 for season three (titled Scream: Resurrection), they wiped the slate clean. They brought in a totally different cast of Scream TV show members. We're talking RJ Cyler, Keke Palmer, and even Tyga.
- The Mask Return: They finally got the rights to the original Ghostface mask and brought back Roger L. Jackson to do the voice.
- The Setting: It moved from the foggy woods of Lakewood to the urban environment of Atlanta.
- The Pace: It was shorter—only six episodes—and felt much more like a traditional slasher movie stretched out.
Keke Palmer was the standout here. She’s a superstar now, obviously, but even then, she brought a level of charisma that the third season desperately needed. However, the reboot didn't sit well with everyone. The "Lakewood Six" fans felt betrayed. We never got closure on Brandon James. We never found out who was calling Emma at the end of the season two finale. That cliffhanger is still one of the most frustrating things in 2010s television.
The Enduring Legacy of the Lakewood Six
Why do people still care about the cast of Scream TV show years after it went off the air? It’s because the chemistry was actually good. In a world where every streaming service has five different teen dramas, the Scream cast felt like they actually liked each other. They’ve even done virtual reunions during the pandemic, proving that the bond they formed while filming in Louisiana was real.
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The show also tackled some heavy stuff for an MTV slasher. It dealt with cyberbullying, closeted sexuality, and parental trauma in a way that felt slightly more grounded than the movies, simply because they had more time to breathe.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're looking to dive back into the world of this cast or the franchise in general, here’s how you should navigate it:
- Watch Reacher Season 1: If you want to see Willa Fitzgerald at her absolute best, skip the horror and go straight to this gritty action-thriller.
- Check out The Blazing World: To see what Carlson Young is capable of as a director, this film is a must-watch for fans of "elevated" horror like Midsommar or Hereditary.
- Support the Voice Work: Follow Bex Taylor-Klaus into the world of animation. Their voice work is prolific and often found in high-quality series on Netflix and Dreamworks.
- The "Lost" Episodes: If you only watched the main seasons, go find the Scream Halloween Special. It’s a two-hour standalone that plays like a tribute to Friday the 13th and gives the Lakewood characters one last hurrah before the reboot.
The reality of the cast of Scream TV show is that they outgrew the material. While fans will always clamor for a season three to wrap up the Emma/Brandon James saga, the actors have moved on to bigger, more complex projects. They’ve proven that you can survive a masked killer and a teen-centric network and come out the other side as a respected professional in Hollywood.
The show might be over, but the "Scream" curse clearly didn't follow the actors home. They’re doing just fine.
Next Steps for Your Rewatch Journey
To truly appreciate how far these actors have come, your best bet is to do a side-by-side comparison. Start by re-watching the Scream pilot on Netflix or whatever platform has it in your region, then immediately pivot to Willa Fitzgerald’s first episode in Reacher or Carlson Young’s The Blazing World. You’ll see the DNA of their horror roots, but you’ll also see the massive growth in their craft. If you’re still itching for more Ghostface, the 2022 and 2023 film sequels are the best way to see how the franchise has evolved back on the big screen, even if our Lakewood favorites aren't in them.