Olivia Rose Keegan on Finding Freedom in Comedy with Scary Movie

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For Olivia Rose Keegan, stepping into the world of Scary Movie wasn't just about joining one of comedy's most beloved franchises, it was about discovering an entirely new side of herself as an actor.

The actress stars as Sarah, the estranged daughter of Anna Faris' iconic Cindy Campbell, and while Keegan initially auditioned without knowing the family connection, learning that Sarah was Cindy's daughter immediately unlocked the character for her.

"It changed everything," Keegan explained. "It was also such a relief because I could just follow my initial instincts. I've loved Anna's work for so long and she's always been a comedic north star for me. Once I had permission to lean into that, I felt like I'd hit the jackpot."

Rather than simply imitate Faris, Keegan approached Sarah as a blend of inspirations. Alongside Cindy Campbell, she looked to Jenna Ortega's Sam Carpenter from the recent Scream films while also ensuring Sarah remained a fully realized character with her own emotional wounds.

"I spent so much time experimenting," she said. "I'd sit in my living room and go through the script over and over. I wanted to figure out what percentage of each influence belonged in certain moments."

That balancing act proved especially important because Sarah is simultaneously trying to be the hero of her own story while desperately hoping someone else will solve her problems for her. According to Keegan, that's exactly what makes her so funny.

"She has so much love and passion, it's just completely misdirected," she said. "She wants things so badly, but she doesn't really know how to follow through."

Though Scary Movie embraces outrageous satire, Keegan quickly learned that comedy works best when grounded in sincerity.

"As big and ridiculous as these movies are, everything still has to come from a truthful place," she explained. "Anna is so brilliant because she's always connected to something real. You can't wink at the audience, you have to commit."

That philosophy became especially important during Sarah's emotional reunion with Cindy after six years apart. The scene carries genuine pain and disappointment, but Keegan discovered that the key wasn't toning down the emotions, it was allowing them to exist on a larger scale.

"You have to make it real and then remove any parameters about how big or small it can be," she said. "It's almost like reconnecting with the wonder of a child and experiencing everything for the first time."

The mother-daughter relationship also benefitted from spontaneous discoveries on set.

"So much of this movie came from improv," she recalled. "Half of those eye rolls and reactions were created in the moment. Anna would do something and I'd just react."

As Sarah, Keegan also had the chance to embrace the character's over-the-top coping mechanisms, including her penchant for prescription pills and dissociation.

"When you're in Scary Movie, you're allowed to go big. But when you're on drugs in Scary Movie, that's a whole other level," she laughed.

One of her favorite experiences came during the hospital sequences alongside Savannah Lee Nassif, who plays Sarah's sister Tuesday. Those scenes became an early turning point in production, teaching Keegan that her own creative instincts had value.

"I'd never really thought of myself as a comedian or an improviser," she admitted. "But I went home after those scenes feeling so supported and encouraged to trust my own intuition. That was such a gift."

Physical comedy also became an exciting new challenge. Keegan prepared for the role by considering not only her lines, but the physical gestures behind every moment.

"With drama, sometimes you're building to stillness. But here I realized I could fully express everything physically. That was incredibly freeing."

Even chemistry reads became opportunities to embrace absurdity. During Zoom auditions with co-star Cameron Scott Roberts, the pair began improvising wildly, creating unexpected physical gags despite being separated by screens.

"It was insane," Keegan said. "We just started doing these weird things and completely changed the dynamic of the scene. And afterward everyone was like, 'Okay, let's do one normal version too.'"

That willingness to take risks became one of the greatest lessons Keegan took away from her first comedy.

"You have to be willing to fail," she said. "You have to be willing to look foolish. There's no vanity, no ego. You just have to try things."

Surrounded by comedy veterans including Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Regina Hall, Chris Elliott and Dave Sheridan, Keegan treated every day on set as a masterclass.

"Marlon has fifty million ideas for every scene. He'll just keep going and trying things. Shawn somehow always finds the pocket, he never strays from what's funniest. Watching how differently they work taught me so much."

Looking back on the experience, Keegan feels amazed that her first foray into comedy happened in such an iconic sandbox.

"Sometimes I talk about this experience and it sounds like I'm making up how great it was," she said. "But it really was that great."

And perhaps more importantly, Scary Movie gave her something every actor is chasing, regardless of genre.

"It made me feel uninhibited," she said. "That's what you're always searching for, to just feel free. Whether it's an indie drama or a satirical comedy, that's the goal. And this experience gave me so much of that."

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Host Mara Webster talks with Scary Movie actress Olivia Rose Keegan