Scream star Neve Campbell recently recalled a horrifying instance in which she survived a bear attack while on the set of a film early in her career. The actor rose to mainstream prominence for her role as Sidney Prescott in Wes Craven’s 1996 slasher classic. Scream would go on to become a critical and commercial success, gaining an immense following and initiating a franchise that spans over two decades, and now includes five films. After reprising her role in the previous four Scream installments and becoming one of the genre’s most celebrated heroines, Campbell returns once again for 2022's Scream, set to hit theaters on January 14.
Campbell’s career in film goes all the way back to 1992, when the actor earned her first starring role in the Canadian series, Catwalk, following a run of previously minor appearances in other various projects. She broke through to larger audiences in the Fox drama, Party of Five, in which she played the role of Julia Salinger through six seasons and starred alongside Matthew Fox and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Later, Campbell landed the role of Bonnie Harper in The Craft, another genre film released the same year as Scream, which experienced a cult-following of its own. Starring in a number of films and television series over the years, Campbell was most recently featured in 2018’s Skyscraper, as well as the critically acclaimed Netflix hit show House of Cards.
Now, speaking on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Campbell recalled a rather memorable filming experience from when she was 17. The actor shared that she was playing a role that involved working with animals, and there was a scene in which she would have to be chased by a bear. Campbell explained that she was instructed to dip her hand in honey and feed the bear, but the animal began to go after her and dragged her through the forest by the leg. The actress has clearly since moved on from the incident, saying that, in acting, sometimes performers are asked to do "silly things." Ultimately, Campbell was rescued and got through the rest of filming. Read Campbell's full story below.
"I dipped my hand in honey and I run to this rock and I turn around and I put my hand out and the bear is not slowing down and he's not coming for my hand. He grabs me by the leg and he pulls me through the forest. And my mother happens to be visiting set, and she's screaming. The whole crew is frozen because nobody can believe what's happening. All I can think to say is, 'He's biting me!' like it wasn't obvious."
Thankfully, Campbell wasn't seriously harmed in the incident. If anything, it seems the attack added to the inner strength that would inform her many future roles. In addition to starring in the upcoming Scream sequel, Campbell has been cast in The Lincoln Lawyer. Based on the 2005 novel of the same name and its sequels, the legal drama series will stream on Netflix and follow a defense attorney in Los Angeles who runs his practice out of a chauffeur-driven Lincoln Town Car. Campbell is set to star alongside Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, playing Mickey Haller, as Maggie McPherson, a Deputy District Attorney who was once married to Haller.
Campbell's story is certainly very disturbing, and speaks to a different approach to on-set safety in the movie industry just a few years ago. Since the terrifying ordeal, however, Campbell has had an impressive acting career across multiple different genres. Given her talent, it's no wonder that she has attracted such a loyal and extensive fanbase over the years. But while the actor has become well-known for the action involved in portraying Sidney Prescott, her work in the Scream series likely pales in comparison to surviving a real-life bear attack. While Ghostface has tormented her iconic character for decades, it's clear that Campbell is made of strong stuff, and will likely survive the killer's attacks again when Scream hits theaters.
Source: The Kelly Clarkson Show