Ahead of KC appearances, Jamie Kennedy dishes on his Scream legacy and cast camaraderie

Jamie Kennedy Comedy. // Courtesy of JamieKennedy.com

Sometimes the best celeb interviews happen when you have little-to-no time to prepare. Case in point, actor/comedian Jamie Kennedy, who is appearing alongside many of his original Scream castmates this weekend at Planet Comicon Kansas City. 

The actor will be appearing all three days at Planet Comicon KC to sign autographs, kibitz with horror movie buffs, and reconnect with many of his ’90s Scream-mates for one hell of a fan photo-op. Even better—he’s also making a quick appearance at The Comedy Club of Kansas City this Wednesday at 7 p.m. 

The quippy podcaster and I had a scant fifteen minutes to riff on everything from being a staple on the Con circuit to fangirling over his childhood idols. Oh, and he even made a few random Oscar predictions. “Here’s what affected me—Billy Eilish’s Barbie song is so good. That’s amazing,” he said. “And I think Cillian Murphy should probably get his flowers this year.”

The Pitch: It’s funny—I was pouring over your IMDB. You’ve been in a bazillion things over the years. Do you ever see a rerun and forget you were in that show or movie?

Jamie Kennedy: Yes, it’s wild. I have done a lot. I’ve been very lucky. I think Lucifer, I was like, Oh yeah, I was in that show.

The Scream franchise is going to turn 30 years young in just a couple of years. Would you have ever predicted its longevity?

I knew it was really original and unique. We thought it would be one of those things—like a cult thing. Like, not as gory as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but that became a cult, so that’s what we thought. But did I know it was gonna be memes, gifs, and cosplay? No, I had no idea. And it’s like it just came out yesterday.

Your motley crew is coming back together at Planet Comicon this weekend! How does that feel?

I love them. It’s just been amazing. We bonded more than we’ve bonded in a long time, we could be our own reality show. We have our own little groups and now the new people are coming in, like Dermot Mulroney and he’s beautiful. And then we’ve got to Hayden Panettiere and I like seeing her out more. And I know Melissa Barrera is coming down and it’s just beautiful. All the different generations! 

I would put any cast against our cast in terms of getting along. We really all get along! Like, most of us text each other, which is a blessing. I’d also like to bring back Battle of the Network Stars because we’re so competitive that I think we could take down any horror cast.

This year, I’m celebrating 25 years of interviewing celebrities and one of my very first interviews was with Henry Winkler who’s appearing with you this weekend, too. So, I feel like this is a full-circle Scream moment.

Wow, you got to start with a legend. These conventions, I think, are gonna be bigger than ever because with AI—go look up the ABBA story. They’re digital replicas of themselves performing—they don’t even show up. So, our world is changing rapidly. But people want to come and see real art. So, we’re like real, living, human art. I know that sounds crazy, but that’s what we are. It’s only gonna get bigger.

Courtesy Jamie Kennedy

William Shatner broke Kansas City in half the year he showed up. 

He’s the original. You know, he’s the guy who started all this, right? Yeah, he’s our god. He is! But it’s amazing seeing, like, John Travolta. You would never think you’d see him, so it’s an ever-changing world and I’m fortunate to be in it. It’s just wild. 

Given that you’ve become quite popular appearing at Cons around the country— tell me, do you ever get starstruck when you bump into celebs?

Yes, people that raised me. I love Anthony Michael Hall. He affected me very young as a child in terms of being an actor. He was so brilliant. Also, William Zabka and Ralph Macchio. Those guys are imprinted on my frontal lobe as the people who raised me without even realizing they did it. When I see them, they’re so sweet to me, but inside I’m like a little fangirl. 

I, for one, cannot believe The Jamie Kennedy Experiment isn’t streaming anywhere—or is it and I missed it?

It’s not—and I’m trying to rectify that. People love it. Who knows? People would probably get mad and try to cancel it because of the way the world is. I’m trying to get it out there. It definitely holds up. I mean, probably for the new generation it’s going to be offensive or something, but it still holds up for me as a comedian. 

You’re pretty prolific on YouTube. Has that been a good outlet for you?

You have to use all your tools, right? So, the Snapchats, the Xs, the Threads, the Instas—I use all that to promote my shows and my comedy. So, I have about eight different jobs I do between going to Cons and doing a role in something or my podcast or stand-up. So, I use all those social media tools to do it. 

And the entertainment business is obviously rapidly changing. I’m really happy about Dune. I think that’s going to really change the movie business again in a good way. It makes people go back to the theaters. They’re not making little movies anymore. So, it’s either Dune or a lot of things go to streaming. So, I like to do my own thing—as I’m trying to do the big things.

Where’s the most random place you’ve ever been recognized?

One time I was with a family member and they tripped down the stairs. And then a waitress came and a couple of the staff of the restaurant. And in the middle of helping them, they were like, “Oh, crap—it’s Jamie Kennedy!” Before people even helped the person, they recognized me which I thought was funny. Fucked up, but funny. But, I get recognized in a lot of weird spots. Toilets are weird—when a guy looks over and does a double take. That’s interesting.

Finally—and this may be controversial—but what’s one horror movie villain who could be banished off the face of the earth for all eternity?

I could go without seeing Bruce again. Bruce is the shark from Jaws. Wouldn’t you consider him a villain? I loved the movie, but he terrorized me my whole life about going in the ocean—so we can leave Bruce out. 

Interview edited for clarity and brevity.

Jamie Kennedy performs at the Comedy Club of Kansas City on Wednesday, March 6. Details available here.