Mason Gooding On Being A ‘Scream King’, Remembering James Van Der Beek

With his recent performance in Gregg Araki’s hit Sundance romp I Want Your Sex and his return to the Scream franchise this weekend, Mason Gooding‘s busy onscreen year is just getting started.

Following Wednesday’s world premiere of Scream 7, now playing in theaters, the actor told Deadline that despite reprising his role as Chad Meeks-Martin and starring in last year’s V-Day slasher Heart Eyes, the idea of being considered a ‘Scream King’ “stresses me out.”

“I grew up with a certain affinity for horror and genre storytelling, and I feel like my natural proclivity to love stories, the Trojan horse sentimentality and themes through bombast and spectacle, is kind of what compels me as an audience member,” he explained. “And then as an artist, I feel like it allows certain stories that we tell as people to kind of transcend time or epoch and kind of resonate regardless of generation or experience.”

Gooding added, “So, horror movies are something I love, and hopefully, I get to keep doing them for the rest of my life. But the ‘Scream King’ moniker thing always stresses me out because I feel like there’s just so much more I wanna do. And I appreciate it, but I’m trying my best to live up to it.”

In the thriller genre, Gooding recently ventured to Catoosa, Oklahoma to work with James Van Der Beek on his final film, The Gates, in which about three young Black men heading to party find themselves trapped in a gated community, where they witness a resident commit murder.

“It was a lot of trying your best to remain present and having someone as seasoned and giving and considerate as James to kind of lead that way and incite a lot of growth, at least in me as an artist,” explained Gooding. “It meant that even though I was tired every day, I still felt like I was being productive and educated on the nature of leading a film, and how to lead with grace and be considerate of all others as he does so effortlessly.”

Read on about Mason Gooding’s return as Chad Meeks-Martin in Scream 7, now in theaters, as well as his upcoming performances in The Gates, I Want Your Sex and 72 Hours.

DEADLINE: It’s cool to see you and Mindy return, and I feel like you’ve kind of become somewhat of a ‘Scream King’ in the past few years with Heart Eyes and the Scream franchise. What’s that been like? 

MASON GOODING: You know, I grew up with a certain affinity for horror and genre storytelling, and I feel like my natural proclivity to love stories, the Trojan horse sentimentality and themes through bombast and spectacle, is kind of what compels me as an audience member, and then as an artist. I feel like it allows certain stories that we tell as people to kind of transcend time or epoch and kind of resonate regardless of generation or experience, so horror movies are something I love, and hopefully, I get to keep doing them for the rest of my life. But the ‘Scream King’ moniker thing always stresses me out because I feel like there’s just so much more I wanna do. And I appreciate it, but I’m trying my best to live up to it. 

DEADLINE: That’s fair. I’m sure you heard about the protests last night. What was it like returning to this movie without Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega? 

GOODING: I think, in terms of engaging with something that began as a like meaningful family-oriented—in terms of the experience—project, that you hope that remains constant moving forward, obviously, you don’t know the likelihood of sequels. And getting to engage with the artistry of Melissa’s immense talent and Jenna’s incredible penchant for creativity, I’m grateful for the amount of time I got to spend with them in 5 and 6. So, coming back for 7, I think it felt like a natural process to go through a level of grief. And once they had discovered their story with Neve [Campbell] and Kevin [Williamson] coming back into it, I think after you process the change that takes place in a franchise as ubiquitous as Scream, my North Star kind of just became, how do I support these people that have created this world that means so much to me? And in an attempt to pay tribute to something that has been around since my birth, as I was born, I think a few days after Scream premiered, it was really just in discussions with them about how meaningful it would be to bring Neve and Sidney back into the fold in a way that I think was just very exciting for me. 

DEADLINE: And I also thought it was funny to see Chad and Mindy now as Gale’s “hot interns.” 

GOODING: Right, as we put it. The evolution of character became such a natural element to how you play the character. I loved that Chad had a level of exhaustion that I think is natural, given his experience in the past two films. And I think that juxtaposes nicely with Jasmin [Savoy Brown] portraying Mindy as still as passionate, as exuberant as she is, meaning that she will always be dedicated to her inquiry and pursuit of correctly guessing, or incorrectly guessing the nature of the film they’re in. But also, just for them, it’s real life, the lives that they lead. 

DEADLINE: I feel like both of them are practically invincible at this point.

GOODING: See, it’s funny cause you do start to wonder what it is that coalesces into a kill in the Scream franchise. Obviously, Dewey has had his fair share of stabs, but it wasn’t until they did the old stab and pull up method that seemed to do him in. I’ve always wanted to die in a spectacular fashion in a movie. The closest I ever got was this movie I did called Fall, where I fell, and off-camera. Scream is a great opportunity to get murdered in a much more memorable way, but it hasn’t happened yet, so I’m just trying to figure out the best way to incorporate that in, somehow. Maybe, Chad has a brother, and I can play the brother, and then the brother dies. 

DEADLINE: Yeah, they’re triplets. 

GOODING: Yeah, exactly … But see, I’m a big text analysis nerd. I love the idea that Chad predicates a lot of his character and understanding on the protection of others. He’s the type of person to put his body on the line for the people that he cares about.

DEADLINE: I heard that there’s already like talks about Scream 8. 

GOODING: [Kevin Williamson] did say that. It’s funny, I think the first time I had engaged with even the idea of continuing, someone had asked Kevin, and he brought it up that on set, that you just start coming up with ideas, and I feel like I don’t have the foresight to think longterm like that. They obviously haven’t had any discussions with me, but I appreciate that in putting Kevin back in the driver’s seat, in a lot of ways, we have access to his line of thinking and how all-encompassing it is, how little threads can be laid in one movie and have that pay off in a sequel or in a long-standing franchise. So, I’m not surprised, but I am personally, especially cause I wasn’t a part of those conversations, I’m curious to know what about 7 piqued his interest to return to an 8, aside from the obvious, being Isabel May’s incredible performance, but that’s certainly no surprise for her. She’s remarkable in all ways, so. 

DEADLINE: Yeah, she was a great choice for Sidney’s daughter

GOODING: I thought so too.

DEADLINE: And I know you also have The Gates coming up. What can you tell me about that? 

GOODING: The Gates, it takes place in Texas. It’s about these three Black boys that try to make their way to a party in the wee hours of the evening and take a shortcut through a gated community, end up witnessing a murder, and then are pursued through that gated community by the perpetrator of said murder, and are blamed for it throughout. Filming it, we shot in Catoosa, Oklahoma, which I never thought I’d spend much time there, but now I know it intimately. I feel like we had so many assets that made the film feel so meaningful on the day, that to share it with people is so exciting, especially given our willingness to navigate certain thematic elements, like a relationship to federal authority or even a spiritual authority, as the antagonist of the film, played by the late great James Van Der Beek, misappropriates and also weaponizes the concept of faith and belief in religion and community to sort of direct the ire of the entire community into these three Black men that have ultimately just been trying to navigate their way out of said community. But, it was super fun, four weeks of straight night shoots. It was a lot of trying your best to remain present and having someone as seasoned and giving and considerate as James to kind of lead that way and incite a lot of growth, at least in me as an artist, meant that even though I was tired every day, I still felt like I was being productive and educated on the nature of leading a film, and how to lead with grace and be considerate of all others as he does so effortlessly. 

DEADLINE: Well, I’m sorry for your loss. That one cut deep, really. 

GOODING: I know, truly, and my heart goes out to his family. I personally go back and forth on the way we engage in honoring, posthumously, an artist’s body of work, and to me, I don’t look beyond the fact that I was able to meet him and have an experience on set. That was as impactful and meaningful to me, that I can now engage and share with my understanding of James in his personhood, outside of his work, that has meant a lot, not only to me, but to all people fortunate enough to watch his work. I can say that his personhood is as remarkable and all-encompassing in its own right, which you always hope people are as wonderful as you think they are, and James was certainly that. 

DEADLINE: That’s great to hear. I really enjoyed I Want Your Sex. Gregg Araki is my favorite director, so it’s just cool to see him back. 

GOODING: He’s got good taste. It’s funny that he has a penchant for visibility, not only of community, but also of lifestyle and taste. And I feel like his fan base is also so keen on seeing something expressed, whether through sexuality or the aesthetics of sex, in a way that feels like spectacle. If in a horror movie, you have these gruesome kills and these crazy killer masks and things, Greg predicates a lot of his aesthetic on the humanity and the humor and the awkwardness based around sexuality and what that might look like from a cerebral standpoint, and also how that might feel from a set design or character standpoint. It’s very cool. 

DEADLINE: Yeah, his entire aesthetic, from the beginning, has always just been so inspiring to me. You play Zap, who’s a very outspoken gay character, and I know you have a lot of gay fans. Was there a pressure for you to get it right for the gay fans?

GOODING: Of course, trying to pay tribute to the queer community by actually expressing knowingness and understanding, both of the adversity experienced in real life, and how that might incite Zap’s confidence in his willingness to reject social etiquette, as his version of reclaiming his own agency. I feel as though my own personal experiences kind of become more manageable by portraying characters that have a level of confidence and that ingrained sense of community that I love about my queer friends and idols, that happened to make the most meaningful art, bred through that adversity, that I feel like portraying that self-assuredness. And he’s very fashion forward. There was a piece that Zap wears in the gallery that was made, customized specifically off the runway, that I was lucky enough to put on. And I feel like Zap, as it relates to his identity, is able to push the boundaries and to be outspoken because he knows in theory what it feels like to be othered, or in the worst case, unpersoned. And I love any opportunity to play a character that is separate from me, but one that I can investigate and do research on and understand as best that I can, and hopefully, I did a good job. You have to let me know. But he was certainly the pleasure of a lifetime. 

DEADLINE: Yeah, he was fun to watch, definitely. And I didn’t realize the last time we talked, this was a reunion for you and Olivia Wilde, which is crazy because I love Booksmart. What was it like working with her again after so many years? 

GOODING: Obviously, the dissimilarity between being directed by her and being technically a co-star of her is kind of getting to engage with her brilliance on multifacets. The fact that she has such a vision and a brain for direction and narrative allows her performance to take all that creativity and understanding of world-building and turn it into a laser beam of focus into a singular person or singular character. That meant following that lead was as challenging as you would want it to be, to feel productive. But she also subverts that by being so giving and communicative about process and character, and I feel like whether she’s acting or she’s directing, there’s always an opportunity to learn something from both in the way that she carries herself and also the way she discusses intent and process. It’s the reason I’m here today, certainly, and also something I benefited from greatly as her co-star.

DEADLINE: It was great seeing both of you in that movie. Any chance there’s like a 10-year reunion Booksmart movie on the horizon? 

GOODING: I would love to do that. Obviously, as I said, it’s hard to think longterm about what creatively makes the most sense in terms of reinvestigating narrative in a sequel or in a franchise, but Booksmart is one of those things where, because it’s a high school narrative, I’m always fascinated to know who these kids become in their adult lives. And if there was a Booksmart 2, any opportunity to watch Kaitlyn Dever or Beanie Feldstein step back into those characters would be exciting for me, or Billie Lourd as Gigi, that for me, would be very exciting. But if people watch it, I’m sure they’d make it happen. It just depends on what people want. 

DEADLINE: I would definitely go see it. I loved the first one. 

GOODING: You and me both. Be there opening night. I don’t even need to be in it. I would watch it 10 times. 

DEADLINE: And I know you have a few projects coming up. What can you tell me about 72 Hours? 

GOODING: It’s a bachelor party comedy in which, I’m engaged and my best man, played by Marcello Hernandez, and my bachelor buddies, Ben Marshall, Kam [Patterson], we accidentally invite Kevin Hart, he plays the character Joe. Hijinks kind of ensues through the streets of Miami. It was definitely, funnily enough, despite that incredibly warm and goofy premise, it was maybe some of the most challenging work I’ve had to do, mostly just cause I don’t think I’m that funny. 

DEADLINE: No, I think you’re funny.

GOODING: I appreciate you saying that cause I will take that compliment as much as I can, cause it makes me feel like hopefully I’m wrong. But in this case, getting to work opposite Kevin, who has a masterful handle over being a conduit for comedy or drama when need be, it meant that I didn’t need to be very funny, cause I could rely on Marcello, Ben or Kam to inundate the story with so many jokes, and I have my little drama corner over here. And then Kevin allowed himself to, by proxy of his talent, made himself the conduit to connect the two, so that you’re getting the funny as well as the sentimental moments that make the movie, in my mind, actually very poignant and thoughtful in a way that I’m really excited for people to see. 

DEADLINE: That’s awesome. You definitely have plenty of funny roles. Like I said, in I Want Your Sex, there’s just nonstop laughs with your dialogue. He’s very unhinged. I love it. 

GOODING: But that’s under the watchful eye of Gregg, who himself is so hilarious, just innately. It made the job super easy.

DEADLINE: Your dad is also a great comedic actor. I read somewhere that you went to set with him once and then decided you’d rather go to college first instead of acting. Is that right?

GOODING: I don’t know if it happened quite as succinctly as that, because then I would have maybe more direction in my adolescence. But I grew up on set and would try and parse out as much usable knowledge about the craft of acting, as well as the business, that when I went to college, I think my original intent was to study acting and be trained from a classical standpoint. And he—I hope he doesn’t mind me saying, he’s not here, and I haven’t spoken to him in a minute—but he was like, “I think you should go study something else. Being an actor means empathy for personhood and understanding of the human condition.” He’s like, “I don’t know if learning technique through a college course is going to yield that understanding.” He’s like, “I think you should experience a different curriculum that might broaden your understanding of people.” Hence, I studied psychology and writing, which ended up being super useful, because I was able to spot out and analyze the script in a way that’s helped me a ton in my professional life. And also psychology means I can be my own therapist. No! I can really understand the human condition from a more collegiate standpoint and understand why we are the way that we are. So, when I talk to a director about decisions or choices, it’s not necessarily based on a technique, but rather a textbook understanding of causality and why we are the way that we are, specifically through our adolescence experience. 

DEADLINE: I noticed that like in the times we’ve spoken, your answers are very well thought-out, and it really provides like interesting perspective that I appreciate. 

GOODING: Yeah. Obviously, I’m still formulating my understanding of our place in culture as artists, specifically as it relates to my hand in that, and I feel like what we owe outside of the work that is consumed by an audience is an understanding and thoughtful nature with the work that we put out. I try my best to have an opinion on the films that I make, and also the narratives and stories that they tell, so that when I’m discussing something that might mean a lot to people like Scream or Love, Victor, I feel like I’ve had maybe the most heartfelt interactions about that show. It’s not coming from a place—this is no offense to actors that will publicly tout, “oh, I needed the money, I took the job”—I feel like the reason I act is to engage with the innate desire for people to tell stories. … Otherwise, I don’t want an audience member who maybe responds so resoundingly to that work to feel as though it didn’t mean as much to me as it did to them, cause at that point, it’s like, you might as well AI me. Our opinions are what make us human. It’s what I think separates us as individuals, and also ironically, is what brings us together through discourse. It’s why I love when actors, performers, athletes discuss their work and they discuss their intent, because it allows the person to shine through in a way that is very meaningful to me.