Neve Adrianne Campbell (; born October 3, 1973) is a Canadian actress. After working in Canadian and American television, Campbell emerged as a
scream queen
A scream queen (a wordplay on ''screen queen'') is an actress who is prominent and influential in horror films, either through a notable appearance or recurring roles. Scream king is the equivalent for men. Notable scream queen examples include ...
for her starring roles in
horror and
thriller film
Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
s. She has also appeared in
blockbusters and
independent features.
Following a series of minor credits, Campbell had a starring role in the drama series ''
Catwalk'' (1992–1993) and the television film ''
The Canterville Ghost'' (1996). She subsequently relocated to the United States to star as
Julia Salinger in the
Fox teen drama series ''
Party of Five
''Party of Five'' is an American teen and family drama television series created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000, with a total of six seasons consisting of 142 epis ...
'' (1994–2000), which became her
breakthrough role
A breakthrough role, also known as a breakout role, is a term in the theatre, film and television industry to describe the performance of an actor or actress which contributed significantly to the development of their career and beginning of crit ...
. She rose to international prominence for her leading role as
Sidney Prescott in
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter and producer. Amongst his Wes Craven filmography, prolific filmography, Craven worked primarily in the Horror film, horror genre, particularly sla ...
's slasher film ''
Scream'' (1996), which spawned the
''Scream'' franchise, in which she reprised her role in each film except
the sixth. She also headlined the horror film ''
The Craft'' (1996), the thriller film ''
Wild Things'' (1998), and the drama film ''
Panic
Panic is a sudden sensation of fear, which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, uncertainty and frantic agitation consistent with a fight-or-flight reaction. ...
'' (2000).
Campbell starred in, produced, and wrote the story for
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He is considered an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era, known for directing subversive and sat ...
's drama film ''
The Company'' (2003). After a hiatus, she returned to television with a recurring role on the drama series ''
Medium
Medium may refer to:
Aircraft
*Medium bomber, a class of warplane
* Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''The Medium'' (1921 film), a German silent film
* ''The Medium'' (1951 film), a film vers ...
'' (2007) and starring roles on the action series ''
The Philanthropist'' (2009) and the miniseries ''
Titanic: Blood and Steel'' (2012). She has since appeared in the action film ''
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...
'' (2018) and the drama film ''
Clouds
In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles, suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may c ...
'' (2020), and played starring roles on the political thriller series ''
House of Cards
A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an expression that dates back to 1645 meaning a struc ...
'' (2016–2017) and the crime drama series ''
The Lincoln Lawyer'' (2022–present).
Early life
Campbell was born in
Guelph
Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as The Royal City, it is roughly east of Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Ontario Highway 6, ...
, Ontario, Canada, on October 3, 1973. Campbell's Dutch mother, Marnie (''née'' Neve), is a yoga instructor and psychologist from Amsterdam. She descends from
Sephardic Jews
Sephardic Jews, also known as Sephardi Jews or Sephardim, and rarely as Iberian Peninsular Jews, are a Jewish diaspora population associated with the historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and their descendant ...
who immigrated to the Netherlands and
converted to Catholicism.
Her Scottish father, Gerry Campbell, immigrated to Canada from his native Glasgow,
and taught high school drama classes at Lorne Park Secondary School in
Mississauga
Mississauga is a Canadian city in the province of Ontario. Situated on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, it borders Toronto (Etobicoke) to the east, Brampton to the north, Milton to the northwest, ...
, Ontario. Campbell's maternal grandparents ran a theatre company in the Netherlands, and her paternal grandparents were also performers. Campbell has an older brother,
Christian Campbell, and two younger half-brothers, Alex Campbell and Damian McDonald. Her parents divorced when she was two.
At age six, she saw a performance of ''
The Nutcracker
''The Nutcracker'' (, ), Opus number, Op. 71, is an 1892 two-act classical ballet (conceived as a '; ) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child's imagination featuring a Nutcracker doll. Th ...
'' and decided she wanted to take
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
classes, enrolling at the Erinvale School of Dance. She later moved into residence at the
National Ballet School of Canada, training there and appearing in performances of ''The Nutcracker'' and ''
Sleeping Beauty
"Sleeping Beauty" (, or ''The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood''; , or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess curse, cursed by an evil fairy to suspended animation in fi ...
''.
After accumulating numerous dance-related injuries, she retired from ballet and took up acting at age 15, performing in ''
The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera may refer to:
Novel
* The Phantom of the Opera (novel), ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (novel), 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux
Characters
* Erik (The Phantom of the Opera), Erik (''The Phantom of the Opera''), the title char ...
'' at the
Canon Theatre in Toronto while attending
John F. Ross Collegiate Vocational Institute in Guelph, where she trained in acting and worked in theatre. One of her classmates was actress
Tara Strong
Tara Lyn Strong (; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian and American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as '' The Powerpuff Girls'', '' The Fair ...
.
Campbell's early work included a 1980s
Eaton's
The T. Eaton Company Limited, later known as Eaton's, was a Canadian department store chain that was once the largest in the country. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an immigrant from what is now Northern Ireland. Eaton's g ...
department store Christmas commercial and a 1991
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...
commercial; she promoted the latter's sponsorship on
Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...
' Waking Up the Nation Tour (1991–1992).
Career
1990s
Campbell made an
uncredited cameo appearance on the series ''
My Secret Identity'' in 1991. The next year, she played the minor role of Laura Capelli on an episode of ''
The Kids in the Hall'' and landed her first starring role as Daisy in the Canadian drama series ''
Catwalk''. She subsequently made several guest appearances on various Canadian television shows, such as ''
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
''Are You Afraid of the Dark?'' is a children's horror anthology television series created by D. J. MacHale and Ned Kandel. The original series aired on Nickelodeon in the United States from August 15, 1992 to February 3, 1996, and also o ...
'' and ''
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues'', both occurring in 1994.
With a desire to perform in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
, Campbell went to Los Angeles to find a talent manager to represent her and ended up going on several auditions while she was doing so. One of these auditions was for ''
Party of Five
''Party of Five'' is an American teen and family drama television series created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000, with a total of six seasons consisting of 142 epis ...
'', which cast her in the role of orphaned teenager
Julia Salinger, whereupon Campbell permanently relocated to the United States to play the role. ''Party of Five'' premiered in 1994 and went on to receive critical acclaim, winning the
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
for
Best Drama in 1996. Campbell's performance on the series was lauded by critics and audiences alike; the series is considered her breakthrough role.
[London Academy of Media Film & T]
"Neve Campbell Movies"
After appearing on ''Party of Five'' for six seasons, Campbell did not renew her contract for a seventh season so she could pursue film work, which led the series' end in 2000. Her first widely released film was ''
The Craft'' (1996). The movie was a surprise success, earning $55 million against a budget of $15 million.
Her work in ''The Craft'' was noticed by director
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter and producer. Amongst his Wes Craven filmography, prolific filmography, Craven worked primarily in the Horror film, horror genre, particularly sla ...
, who specifically asked her to audition for the role of
Sidney Prescott in 1996's ''
Scream'', believing that the actress could be "innocent", but also handle herself once emotional and psychical conflicts arose. ''Scream'' was released to major commercial and critical success, earning over $173 million at the worldwide box office which made it the highest-grossing slasher film until the release of ''
Halloween
Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
'' in 2018. Her performance received significant critical praise. ''
Variety'' magazine described Campbell as "charismatic", and the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' called both her acting and the character "iconic". For her performance, she won the
Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress and the
Saturn Award for Best Actress.

In 1997, Campbell reprised the role of Sidney in ''
Scream 2
''Scream 2'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O'Connell, Jada P ...
'', which earned over $170 million and, like the first installment, was critically acclaimed. Patrick Mullen of
Medium
Medium may refer to:
Aircraft
*Medium bomber, a class of warplane
* Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''The Medium'' (1921 film), a German silent film
* ''The Medium'' (1951 film), a film vers ...
website stated that "I've always appreciated Neve Campbell in the lead just as much. She plays the role so straight while everyone else winks at the camera. It may sound like it wouldn't work, but it actually does. Sidney Prescott is a more compelling heroine than you usually get in a horror movie." She won the
MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance for her work in ''Scream 2''.
In 1998, Campbell had roles in ''
Hairshirt'' and ''
54'' and voiced Kiara in the
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
animated musical film ''
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride''. She also appeared in the erotic thriller film ''
Wild Things''. She took on the role in ''Wild Things'' to avoid being
typecast based on her ''Party of Five'' role. ''
Glamour'' praised Campbell's character in the film, describing it as one of "the most well-rounded, fascinating, and exciting characters to ever grace the screen". In 2022, a retrospective review of ''Wild Things'' in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' written by Abbey Bender described her character as a "
femme fatale
A ( , ; ), sometimes called a maneater, Mata Hari, or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and Seduction, seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype ...
" and called Campbell's acting a "calculated performance of self-assured femininity inspires fear, arousal and awe in equal measure".
2000s
Campbell went on to appear in several films that received a limited theatrical release but were well reviewed by critics, including the film ''
Panic
Panic is a sudden sensation of fear, which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, uncertainty and frantic agitation consistent with a fight-or-flight reaction. ...
''.
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
wrote that she "takes a tricky role and enriches it, brings it human dimension instead of being content with the "sexpot" assignment." Campbell starred again as Sidney Prescott in ''
Scream 3
''Scream 3'' is a 2000 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Ehren Kruger. It stars David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox Arquette, Parker Posey, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Foley, Lance Henriksen, Matt Keeslar, ...
'' (2000), which earned over $160 million but marked a temporary end for the franchise following mixed reviews. In his review of ''Scream 3'',
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
wrote: "The camera loves her. She could become a really big star and then giggle at clips from this film at her
AFI tribute." In retrospect, the parallels between ''Scream 3''
's themes of abuse and the
Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases
In October 2017, ''The New York Times'' and ''The New Yorker'' reported that dozens of women had accused the American film producer Harvey Weinstein of rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse over a period of at least 30 years. Over 80 women i ...
came to light. In 2002, she starred in ''
Last Call'', for which she won a Prism Award for Performance in TV Movie or Miniseries.
Campbell co-wrote, produced and starred in the 2003 film ''
The Company'', which is about Chicago's
Joffrey Ballet
The Joffrey Ballet is an American dance company and training institution in Chicago, Illinois. The Joffrey regularly performs classical and contemporary ballets during its annual performance season at the Civic Opera House, including its annual ...
. The idea for the film was conceived by Campbell in her teens. The following year, she led the independent film ''
When Will I Be Loved'' (2004), which was praised by critics;
Roger Ebert wrote that Campbell gave a performance that was "carnal, verbally facile, physically uninhibited and charged with intelligence. Not many actresses could have played this character, and fewer still could give us the sense she's making it up as she goes along."
In March 2006, Campbell made her
West End theatre debut in a version of
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...
's ''
Resurrection Blues'' at
the Old Vic
The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. It was established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...
theatre. The play received mixed reviews. ''
Resurrection Blues'' was directed by
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He is considered an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era, known for directing subversive and sat ...
, with whom Campbell had previously worked in ''The Company''.

Later in 2006, Campbell performed again in the West End in ''Love Song'' to mixed reviews. The latter half of the 2000s saw sporadic work from Campbell, due to a hiatus; most notably, in June 2009, she had a starring role on NBC's short-lived series ''
The Philanthropist''. She later explained the hiatus by saying it "got to a level, also, where the kinds of things that I was being offered were not the things I wanted to do. I was constantly being offered horror films, because I was known for horror films, or bad romantic comedies."
On her overall career progression, she has stated that "I think I went from being a young girl / ingénue to a woman, which was great for me."
2010s
In 2011, Campbell starred in ''The Glass Man'', which received a limited release. Also in 2011, 11 years after the previous installment, Campbell made her comeback to the ''Scream'' franchise in ''
Scream 4'' (2011), which received positive reviews and earned over $97 million. For her performance, she was nominated for Best Actress at the
Scream Awards
The Scream Awards were an annual awards show run and broadcast by Paramount Network#Spike (2003–2018), Spike from 2005 to 2012. The premier Awards Ceremony was known as 2006 Scream Awards, Spike TV's Scream Awards 2006, however, for subsequent y ...
in 2011. On reprising the role of Sidney Prescott in future works, Campbell stated that "It would have to be something really special and really different. They'd have to be really convincing about who they decided to bring on as director, and I'd still have to do a bit of soul-searching on that one."
Campbell next starred in the drama film ''Singularity'', which premiered at
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world.
Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
in May 2012. She also appeared in the 2012 miniseries ''
Titanic: Blood and Steel'', and starred in the 2013 Lifetime crime film ''An Amish Murder''. Campbell went on to appear in guest or recurring roles in several television series, including the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
supernatural drama ''
Medium
Medium may refer to:
Aircraft
*Medium bomber, a class of warplane
* Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''The Medium'' (1921 film), a German silent film
* ''The Medium'' (1951 film), a film vers ...
'', the
Fox animated sitcom ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'', the
ABC medical drama ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...
'', the
AMC
AMC may refer to:
Film and television
* AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain
* AMC Networks, an American entertainment company
** AMC (TV channel)
** AMC+, streaming service
** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company
*** ...
period drama ''
Mad Men
''Mad Men'' is an American historical drama, period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on cable network AMC (TV channel), AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, with seven seasons ...
'', the NBC sitcom ''
Welcome to Sweden''. In 2015, she played
Katherine Oppenheimer in
two episodes of the
WGN period drama series ''
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
''.
On June 30, 2015, it was announced that Campbell would star as Texas-based
political consultant
Political consulting is a form of consulting that consists primarily of advising and assisting political campaigns. Although the most important role of political consultants is arguably the development and production of mass media (largely televi ...
LeAnn Harvey in the
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
television drama ''
House of Cards
A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an expression that dates back to 1645 meaning a struc ...
'', beginning in the
fourth season. On the role of Harvey, the actress said in an interview with ''
Business Insider
''Business Insider'' (stylized in all caps: BUSINESS INSIDER; known from 2021 to 2023 as INSIDER) is a New York City–based multinational financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Inside ...
'' that "I knew that what I wanted was a cable show with a good cast, and good writing, and it was respected, and an ensemble where I'm not carrying it, and then this came along. And then I couldn't have asked for anything better." Campbell was particularly praised by ''
GQ'' magazine for her performance, who called her the "best thing" of the season and wrote that "she was exactly the competitor that the show's anti-heroes needed".
In 2016, Campbell was honoured with the
National Award of Excellence by the Association of Canadian Radio and Television Artists (
ACTRA
The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) is a Canadian trade union representing performers in English-language media. It has over 30,000 members working in film, television, radio, and all other recorded media. Th ...
).
On June 22, 2017, it was reported that Campbell would star in
Rawson Marshall Thurber
Rawson Marshall Thurber (born February 9, 1975) is an American filmmaker and actor. He is best known for writing and directing the 2004 comedy film ''Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story''.
Early life
Thurber was born in San Francisco, California ...
's action film ''
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...
''.
She played Sarah Sawyer. The film was released on July 13 the following year to box office success, grossing over $304 million worldwide; in spite of this, the film earned mixed reviews. Campbell co-starred as Valerie Gannon in the 2018 independent drama film ''Hot Air''. In 2019, Campbell starred as Rebecca Fine, a single mother struggling with a serious illness, in the Canadian drama film ''
Castle in the Ground''. The film had its world premiere at the
2019 Toronto International Film Festival
The 44th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 5 to 15 September 2019. The opening gala was the documentary film '' Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band'', directed by Daniel Roher, and the festival closed with a ...
and received generally positive reviews.
2020s
It was announced in 2019 that Campbell would star as author Laura Sobiech in the biographical musical drama film ''
Clouds
In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles, suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may c ...
'', which is based on the true story of
Zach Sobiech. She detailed her experience in playing the role, saying that "I'd have some stuff to shed every evening, there were days of heavy crying, and I'd just be drained." It was released in 2020 to positive reviews on
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
. ''Variety'' magazine described Campbell's acting as "well played within narrow bounds". ''
IndieWire'' stated that she does "a fine job of balancing unimaginable pain with hard-fought moments of joy" and that she "distills Laura Sobiech's religious fervor into a more general desperation".
In September 2020, it was confirmed that Campbell would reprise her role as Sidney Prescott for the
fifth ''Scream'' film, directed by
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (born February 19, 1978) is an American director, writer, actor, and musician. He is a founding member of the punk band Link 80 and co-creator of the filmmaking collectives Chad, Matt & Rob and Radio Silence Productions, Rad ...
and
Tyler Gillett.
She was initially "apprehensive" and hesitant to take the role given the death of Wes Craven; however, she was convinced to join once "the new directors came to me with this beautiful letter saying that they've become directors and love film because of these films, and because of Wes, and they really want to be true to his story and his journey with these films, so I was really happy to hear that." The film was released on January 14, 2022, and earned widespread acclaim. It was also a major commercial success,
grossing over $135 million against a budget of $24 million.
Campbell was lauded for her performance once more,
and she was particularly praised for her "fresh" take on the role of Prescott. ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' wrote that "... it's a pleasure to see Campbell again in fine form as Sidney, striding back into Woodsboro to take care of unfinished business". ''
Elle
Elle may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication
** Elle Style Awards
* Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition
* Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film
* ''Elle: ...
'' magazine named her the "Reigning Queen of ''Scream''" and stated that "Sidney might not have that impact on people were it not for Campbell's portrayal, rife with vulnerability, intelligence, and a palatable dose of humor."
In February 2021, Campbell was cast as
Mickey Haller's ex-wife Margaret "Maggie" McPherson in a television adaptation of ''
The Lincoln Lawyer'' for Netflix; The series premiered on May 13, 2022, and entered Netflix's Top 10 that same day. It was received positively by critics, and Lara Solanki of ''
Radio Times
''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
'' felt that she was more "dogged and determined, qualities she showed once again in this year's ''Scream'' reboot" and said that giving the actress more screen time "would not be an unwelcome development". The series was renewed for a second season on June 14, 2022, with Campbell set to return.
In February 2022, Campbell signed with both
the Gersh Agency and
Anonymous Content.
Campbell was approached to reprise the role of Sidney Prescott in the
sixth installment in the
''Scream'' franchise. At the Mad Monster Party Convention, she stated that "There's no script yet. There is a draft coming in soon is what I was told. Actually, I was supposed to call a producer yesterday, because he wanted to talk to me about what's going on. You know, we'll see. I'll read the script and see how I feel." In June 2022, it was announced she would not be returning to the ''Scream'' franchise after salary negotiations stalled with Paramount.
She stated: "As a woman I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to ''Scream''. I felt the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise. It's been a very difficult decision to move on. To all my ''Scream'' fans, I love you. You've always been so incredibly supportive to me. I'm forever grateful to you and to what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years."
''
IndieWire'' noted Campbell had spent 26 years acting in the franchise, and announced it was "the end of an era".
Campbell expanded on her statement a few weeks later, saying she could not bear "walking on set and feeling undervalued" and that the offer would have been different had she been a man.
In May 2022, Campbell was cast as Raven in a recurring role for the
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
television series adaptation of ''
Twisted Metal
''Twisted Metal'' is a series of Vehicular combat game, vehicular combat video games originally developed by SingleTrac and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The series has appeared on the PlayStation (console), PlayStation, PlaySta ...
''.
The series was released in July 2023 and ''The Hollywood Reporter'' said that she was "coming across as cheery in a way that's instantly suspicious". In August 2022, it was announced that Campbell had been cast in the lead role of the
ABC series ''
Avalon'' as Detective Nicole "Nic" Searcy.
It was later announced in November that the series had been scrapped, though it was being shopped around to other networks.
In July 2023, it was announced that Campbell would serve as executive producer of the documentary ''
Swan Song
The swan song (; ) is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that swans sing a beautiful song just before their death while they have been ...
''. Profiling the final days of ballerina
Karen Kain at the
National Ballet of Canada
The National Ballet of Canada is a Canadian ballet company that was founded in 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, with Celia Franca, the first artistic director. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led since 2022 ...
, Campbell enjoyed working on the film as it tied into her previous ballet interest. ''Swan Song'' was selected to premiere in the Special Presentations line-up of the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
and is scheduled to have a 2024 theatrical release.
In March 2024, Campbell announced through her Instagram that she would reprise the role of Sidney Prescott in ''
Scream 7'', writing that "It’s always been such a blast and an honor to get to play Sidney in the ''Scream'' movies… My appreciation for these films and for what they have meant to me, has never waned." It is set for release in February 2026.
In 2025, Campbell was chosen to voice
Lorna Dane / Polaris in the
second season of the animated series
''X-Men '97'', a revival of the 1990s
''X-Men: The Animated Series''.
Media image
Campbell has often been referred to as a
scream queen
A scream queen (a wordplay on ''screen queen'') is an actress who is prominent and influential in horror films, either through a notable appearance or recurring roles. Scream king is the equivalent for men. Notable scream queen examples include ...
, beginning with her work in the ''Scream'' franchise.
In addition to her work in the horror genre, Campbell twice successfully established herself in mainstream film and television, beginning from the late 1990s with ''Party of Five'', where she was described as "television's most believable teenager", and resuming in the 2010s, following a hiatus,
by focusing on dramatic works which have earned her equal praise.
The role of
Sidney Prescott as played by Campbell established her as one of the highest-grossing and acclaimed heroines of all time in the
slasher genre.
She has frequently been included on lists citing the best actresses in horror. Despite her status in the genre, she stated that she finds horror movies "difficult to watch".
Campbell has often been referred to as a
sex symbol
A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British St ...
,
a title she has held since her breakout role in ''Party of Five'' in the 1990s.
She is also recognized for her looks and fashion style.
She appeared on ''
People
The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
'' magazine's list of "50 Most Beautiful People" twice, and ''
Bustle
A bustle is a padded undergarment or wire frame used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skir ...
'' magazine described her as "one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood".
She ranked third on
''Empire'''s 1998 list of "100 Sexiest Movie Stars" and appeared on several editions of ''
FHM''
's "
FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World".
Campbell was
name-dropped in
the Weeknd
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...
's
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...
album ''
Dawn FM'' (2022). She was referenced in the single "
Here We Go... Again" featuring
Tyler, the Creator
Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
in the lyric "I loved her right, make her scream like Neve Campbell."
On an interview with
James Corden, she said that "at first, my publicist told me, and she was like, 'The Weeknd,' and I was like, 'Wait, which weekend? Last weekend?' I had no idea what she was talking about. And then I realized, 'Oh, the guy who played at the Super Bowl! That guy!' Fellow Canadian. How cool."
Campbell trended on
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
in January 2023 when
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
was widely criticized for the ''Scream VI'' pay dispute. The news surprised Campbell, who said: "I had a friend text me and say, 'You're trending right now.' I've never been on Twitter. I didn't know what it meant." Fellow ''Scream'' actors
David Arquette and
Jasmin Savoy Brown came to her defense, among others.
Personal life
Campbell has stated, "I am a practicing
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, but my lineage is
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
, so if someone asks me if I'm Jewish, I say yes."
Campbell married Jeff Colt on April 3, 1995, and divorced in May 1998. In 2005, Campbell began dating
John Light, whom she met while filming ''
Investigating Sex''. They became engaged in December 2005 and married in Malibu, California, on May 5, 2007. They lived together in
Islington, London
Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...
for five years until Campbell filed for divorce on June 30, 2010, in Los Angeles.
In March 2012, Campbell and her partner, actor
JJ Feild, confirmed that they were expecting their first child together. Their son was born in 2012. On June 29, 2018, Campbell announced the adoption of their second son.
Activism
Campbell has advocated against
poverty
Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...
and
world hunger
In politics, humanitarian aid, and the social sciences, hunger is defined as a condition in which a person does not have the physical or financial capability to eat sufficient food to meet basic Human nutrition, nutritional needs for a sustain ...
. In a 2016 interview, she declared herself a
socialist
Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
. In 2020, she and several other ''Scream'' co-stars hosted a charity event to raise funds for the
National Breast Cancer Foundation. In July 2022, she appeared in an advertisement for the
American Red Cross
The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...
, where she played Sidney Prescott.
Filmography
Film
Television
Video games
* ''
The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure'' (2000), as Kiara
Awards and nominations
See also
*
List of Canadian actors
Notes
References
External links
*
*
*
CNN interview (January 13, 2004)
(January 5, 2004)
E Online! interview(December 1997)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Neve
1973 births
20th-century Canadian actresses
20th-century Roman Catholics
21st-century Canadian actresses
21st-century Roman Catholics
Actresses from Ontario
Canadian ballerinas
Canadian expatriates in the United Kingdom
Canadian film actresses
Canadian people of Dutch-Jewish descent
Canadian people of Scottish descent
Canadian Roman Catholics
Canadian Sephardi Jews
Canadian socialists
Canadian stage actresses
Canadian television actresses
Canadian voice actresses
Catholic socialists
Jewish Canadian actresses
Jewish Canadian film people
Jewish socialists
Living people
People from Guelph