Jamie Kennedy is at his best when a film gives his comic timing a precise job. His Randy in Scream makes clever dialogue sound like conversation; the case for him as a leading man is less convincing.
Fi1m perspective
Jamie Kennedy's Randy in Scream (1996) likes to explain how horror films work. A video shop clerk with an expert's knowledge, he could easily become the character who stops the film whenever the writer has something clever to say. Kennedy's timing makes him good company instead: he gets through the joke without waiting for admiration. We laughed at Randy because the explanations come quickly enough to sound like an eager young man talking, not a screenplay congratulating itself.
Wes Craven gives that performance a useful place in the ensemble, with Neve Campbell's seriousness as Sidney keeping the danger credible. Kevin Williamson's dialogue needs that balance, and Kennedy is quick enough to keep up without insisting that every line should be his moment. This is where we rate him most highly, as a comic actor working within a film that has other things to attend to. David O. Russell's Three Kings (1999), with Kennedy as Walter Wogaman, puts him in another supporting role where humour sits close to violence.
The early 2000s brought programmes and films built around him. He created and starred in the hidden-camera series The Jamie Kennedy Experiment (2002–2004), playing characters including Brad Gluckman. Gluckman became the lead in Malibu's Most Wanted (2003), which Kennedy co-wrote. That film's uneven satire and reliance on stereotypes make it a less inviting introduction to his work. His lead performance in Son of the Mask (2005) drew widespread criticism, and there is little in that turn towards starring roles to displace Randy as the clearest reason to watch him.
Even in Scream, the cleverness has a cost: explanations occasionally postpone the fright. Kennedy is most effective when his speed prevents us noticing how much information the dialogue is carrying. He benefits from Craven's refusal to let the jokes make the threat harmless, and from fellow actors who give the film something to worry about. Start with Scream before committing an evening to one of the leading roles.
Biography
Jamie Kennedy is an American actor and comedian. Born James Harvey Kennedy on 25 May 1970 in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, he first gained prominence for his role as Randy Meeks in the Scream film series.
He appeared as Randy Meeks in Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997) and Scream 3 (2000). Other film roles include William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996), Enemy of the State (1998), Bowfinger (1999) and Malibu's Most Wanted (2003). On television, he hosted the sketch comedy series The Jamie Kennedy Experiment (2002–2004) and played Professor Eli James in Ghost Whisperer (2008–2010). He has also worked as a stand-up comedian.
