Stu Macher: Who He Is, Who Plays Him and What Happens to Him
Stu Macher is the Woodsboro teenager played by Matthew Lillard, who hosts the party at the center of Scream (1996). Lillard is credited as Stu Macher again in Scream 7 (2026).
Who Plays Stu Macher?
Who Is Stu Macher in Scream?
Stu Macher is a Woodsboro teenager played by Matthew Lillard in Scream (1996), directed by Wes Craven. The film credits him as Stuart and bills him fourth, behind Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich and Rose McGowan. Lillard is credited as Stu Macher again in Scream 7 (2026), directed by Kevin Williamson, billed thirteenth.
In the first film Stu belongs to the circle around Sidney Prescott and her boyfriend Billy Loomis, and his house hosts the party where the story reaches its climax. The setting matters, because the killings have already closed the school and the whole town is on edge, yet at Stu's place the teens still drink, watch scary movies and ignore the danger.
That house did not vanish after 1996. In Scream (2022) it reappears as the home of Amber Freeman, which used to belong to Stu Macher. If you are searching for the "Stu Macher house", that is the connection: the first film's party house, later reused as a location in the fifth.
If you are new to the series, the Scream movies in order page shows where each appearance sits, and the list of Scream characters puts Stu beside Billy Loomis, Sidney Prescott and Ghostface.
Stu Macher Films
Stu Macher's Story Arc Across the FilmsSpoilers
Stu's story is one complete arc in Scream (1996) and then a long echo in later films. Over the first film he goes from party host to one of the two killers behind the Ghostface mask, and much of what follows in the franchise reacts to that reveal.
In Scream (1996), a masked caller quizzes Casey Becker about horror movies, then kills her and her boyfriend. The killings continue, the school closes, and Randy, the film obsessed friend, explains the unwritten rules that horror victims follow. At the party at Stu's house the body count rises, and Sidney finally gives in to Billy. Then Billy and Stu step out as the two killers. Billy says he blamed Sidney's mother for breaking up his family, and the pair stab each other to make their story look believable, planning to frame Sidney's father.
Why did Stu become a Ghostface? The only grievance the film spells out belongs to Billy, so Stu comes across as the partner in the plan rather than the author of its stated reason. Sidney, helped by a wounded Gale and Dewey, turns the tables, and Sidney kills Stu.
His house returns in Scream (2022), as described above. His name returns in Scream 7 in a stranger way: a voice directing the killer Karl Gibbs presents itself as Stu Macher, but that persona was built by Marco Davis, an institution supervisor who used computer skills to fake it. The voice is a construction, not Stu coming back.
Lillard has also said a scene showing Stu alive was filmed for Scream 7 and then cut, according to Dark Horizons.
Stu Macher and Billy: Are They Both Ghostface?
Yes, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher are both Ghostface in Scream (1996). The film reveals them together at the party, with Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard playing the pair.
The central relationship is with Billy, Sidney's boyfriend and the one with the stated motive. Stu is his partner in the plan, which involves stabbing each other so their stories look believable, then framing Sidney's father.
Is Stu in love with Billy? The film presents them as accomplices, and neither the credits nor the filmmakers' reported comments state a romantic relationship. Any reading beyond that is fan interpretation and is best treated as such.
The other ties run through the survivors. Sidney is the target of the plan. Randy, the friend who explains the rules, is nearly killed in the finale. Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley help Sidney turn the tables.
How many kills did Stu have? The plot of Scream (1996) shows Casey and her boyfriend killed and a rising body count at the party, but no official tally of kills for Billy or Stu has been published. Any exact number comes from a fan count.
In Scream 7, the persona calling itself Stu is a fake built by Marco Davis.
Is Stu Macher Dead? His Death and Scream 7Spoilers
Stu Macher dies in Scream (1996). Sidney kills him in the finale at his house, and then she shoots Billy in the head when he rises one last time. Both killers are dead and the killings are over.
Is Stu still alive in Scream 7? No. The voice that presents itself as Stu is a persona built by Marco Davis, and Sidney shoots Marco dead. The voice directs Karl Gibbs, an escaped patient who is one Ghostface, while a second Ghostface is unmasked as Jessica Bowden, whom Sidney and her daughter Tatum kill.
Does Stu Macher return in Scream 7? In the credits and in name, yes: Matthew Lillard is credited as Stu Macher, billed thirteenth. In story terms, Stu is a presence the villains borrow. Lillard has said a separate scene showing Stu alive was shot but cut, as reported by Dark Horizons.
The next film is Scream 8. Spyglass is developing it, and Collider reports that no official release date has been announced. Nothing in the reporting says what, if anything, it will do with Stu.
Best Stu Macher Moments (Opinion)
In my opinion, Stu's best moment is the party reveal in Scream (1996), because it turns a character who looks like comic relief into one half of the threat. Lillard plays him loud and restless for much of the film, and the reveal recasts that energy in hindsight. It could be argued that this is what keeps a horror comedy from becoming only a spoof, since the laughs and the danger sit in the same person.
The second pick is the house itself. The finale unfolds in the place where the teens have been drinking and watching scary movies, with Sidney, Gale and Dewey fighting back inside it. It is a contained set piece, and in my view it is why the 1996 film still plays well beside the bigger sequels. For a comparison with the rest of the series, see Scream movies ranked.
The third is Scream 7. I find the choice to make Stu a fake voice interesting: the franchise treats the name as one more costume a killer can wear, which fits the series habit of passing Ghostface from one person to the next. Perhaps the cut scene would have changed that, but the released version suits the film's theme of legacy being used by the wrong people.
If you want to see Stu at his best, start with Scream (1996), then jump to Scream 7 for the echo.
Facts
- Scream (1996) was released in US theaters on December 20, 1996. Box Office Mojo, checked 2026-11-03
- Matthew Lillard plays Stuart in Scream (1996), billed fourth. TMDB, checked 2026-11-03
- Scream (1996) was directed by Wes Craven and runs 112 minutes. TMDB, checked 2026-11-03
- Scream 7 was released in the US on February 27, 2026. Skydance, checked 2026-11-03
- Matthew Lillard is credited as Stu Macher in Scream 7, billed thirteenth. TMDB, checked 2026-11-03
- Scream 7 was directed by Kevin Williamson and runs 114 minutes. TMDB, checked 2026-11-03
- Matthew Lillard has said a scene showing Stu alive was shot for Scream 7 and then cut. Dark Horizons, checked 2026-11-03
- No official release date for Scream 8 has been announced. Collider, checked 2026-11-03
FAQs
Is Stu still alive in Scream 7?
No. Stu Macher dies in Scream (1996) when Sidney kills him. In Scream 7, a voice presents itself as Stu, but that persona was built by Marco Davis, an institution supervisor, and Sidney shoots Marco dead. Matthew Lillard has said a scene showing Stu alive was filmed and then cut.
Does Stu Macher return in Scream 7?
Matthew Lillard is credited as Stu Macher in Scream 7, billed thirteenth. In the story, the name returns through a faked voice that directs the killer Karl Gibbs, a persona built by Marco Davis.
How many kills did Stu Macher have?
No official tally has been published. Scream (1996) shows Casey Becker and her boyfriend killed, then a rising body count at the party, but no published record assigns each death to Billy or Stu, so any exact number is a fan count.
Are Billy and Stu both Ghostface?
Yes. In Scream (1996), Billy Loomis and Stu Macher are revealed as the two killers at the party at Stu's house. Billy says he blamed Sidney's mother for breaking up his family, and the two stab each other to make their story look believable.
Why did Stu Macher become a Ghostface?
The film states a grievance only for Billy, who blamed Sidney's mother for breaking up his family. Stu is Billy's partner in the plan to frame Sidney's father, and the film gives no separate stated reason for him.
Is Stu in love with Billy?
The film presents Billy and Stu as accomplices. Neither the credits nor the filmmakers' reported comments state that Stu is in love with Billy, so that reading is fan interpretation.