Q&A with Scream: Resurrection Stuntman William Scharpf


William Scharpf, who played Ghostface in the VH1 revival Scream: Resurrection, recently answered some questions from Reddit user u/SamGFilms.

Here's how that Q&A went...

1. How did you come across doing stunts?
I was a professional water skier. I water-skied on the Pro Tour (type of water ski) and one Saturday morning during qualifying, a buddy of mine, he shows up just as I’m taking off to ski, and he had a jet lagged makers haircut, and I was like “Hey, that’s a stupid haircut.” And he’s like “Fuck you. I was James Bond’s stunt double.” I was like, “What?!” So, then I had to go do my qualifying round and that night I was drinking beer and he’s telling me about being a stuntman.
2. What stunts do you specialize in?
Mostly water, cars, fights, and high free falls. And a lot of rigging. You know, wire work.
3. Did you have any prior experiences in sports or just mainly waterski?
Oh, I did every sport under the sun.
4. How long have you been doing stunts for?
30 years.
5. Did you have a favorite actor/actress working with?
Tony "The Candyman" was awesome! He's super professional. You know he's an older guy. We had a big fight scene to do. You know, he's all beat up and stuff. But he's fantastic and superb. Giorgia Whigham (Beth) and CJ Wallace (Amir) were great! RJ (Deion) was cool. Not a lot of names I remember really. Besides Tyga (Jay). Tyga. He was only there because he was a Kardashian groupie. They totally put him in there for ratings. The fucker couldn’t act. He’s a big pussy actually, especially when it came to stunts. He looked like a little Prima Donna. He's not even an actor. He just you know... I don't know why he was just there. He's not an actor. He looks like a Kardashian. Another Kardashian coattail rider.
6. Did you have a favorite kill performing?
All were fun to do. Kills run through. Killed one, killed them all.
7. Any thoughts about the costume when you saw it?
It’s just another job. I don’t get too much excited about much of anything. Just another job. Just another set of wardrobe. But it was a lot of fun playing Ghostface.
8. How was it like to wear the mask and robe?
Creepy and hard to breathe during fights. When you step on the fucking thing (while running), you know it’s, a pain in the ass... I wasn't, you know, a big Scream aficionado. You know, I just got the job. It was a lot of fun playing Ghostface... It was like your in a big burlap sack. It's like a giant burlap cape and a hood. A giant burlap hoodie. That hood is really tight, you know, it’s just tugged around the mask so you can’t tell wether it’s a guy or a girl... It felt like a bunch of rags piled on me. It was a one piece suit. Nothing distinctly that I can describe... I had the set costumer get me in and out of it for every shot, make sure everything is working on me, stuff like that.
9. Did you have a favorite stunt moment doing?
Jumping through door glass was fun. That was pretty much the only stunt I did as Ghostface. Fun stuff. I was just running and... you know most of my stunts were just stuff with the knife and close proximities with knives. Rubber knives and you know the kills. That (jumping through door glass) was just really the only stunt I did. They (door glass) do have electrical charges on them and they hit the button right as your hitting the glass and sometimes if they're late you have breakaway glass. Combonation... You have to worry about your eyes, keep your eyes closed afterwards and they fill the glass with compressed air and blow all the glass stuff off your face.
10. Did the director give you any instructions on what to do, or was it mostly based on your movements, like swinging the knife or running around?
The director did his directions under the plot. Like, ”You’re gonna stab Tyga’s character in the head.” Stuff like that.
11. Did you choreograph any of the scenes in the show?
Yep, all of them. Mainly stunt related.
12. Did you have a most exhausting /tiring stunt moment?
Long fight with Tony was exhausting.
13. Any risky stunts?
Nothing on that. That (Scream Season 3 Stuff) was pretty lame.
14. How did you get the job as Ghostface in Scream?
I got the job as the stunt coordinator and I was originally doing Season 1, and at the same time I was doing another bigger TV series that required more of my attention. I was doing Underground The TV Series. So, I handed the job off to my buddy Stanton Barrett. But I was going to play Ghostface in Season 1. He’s one of my best friends. I gave the job to him. Stanton’s one of the best all around stunt guys I know.
15. Do YOU like scary movies?
Don't like scary movies. Not at all. They’re scary, haha! I like comedy and action. And historical dramas.
16. Did you meet or hear Roger Jackson on set?
Nope, didn't meet him.
17. Did you get a chance to see the series at all?
No. I don't watch hardly anything I do.
18. How was it like working with Brett Matthews (Director of Scream: Resurrection)?
Brett's a great helper. You know, he went and called ahead and... Yeah, Brett was really good.
19. Were there multiple/different Ghostface costumes on set that you had to wear?
Yeah, that have differences to everything. And I would specify like if I was on it, I’d make sure it wasn’t dragging on the ground. I would just try to help out with how I feel. You know, they’d have standard costumes that I’d modify and the professionals would modify.
20. Would you come back as Ghostface if there was a Season 4?
It depends on what other job opportunities are available. I'm not gonna say no, but I can take it or leave it. It happens if I have an opening in my schedule, I'd probably do it.
So...the dude kind of comes across as a dick a few times, but that's Hollywood, I suppose. 
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