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Steven Orth


“ "MUFFLES" CASEY! ”

–Steve’s only lines of the film when he muffles Casey for help before he gets killed by Stu.

“ He's big and he plays football, and he'll kick the shit out of you! ”

–Casey Becker describing Steven to Billy Loomis as Ghostface.

Steven "Steve" Orth, better known simply as Steve, is the first on-screen victim of the entire Scream franchise. He was a 17-year-old football player at Woodsboro High School and the boyfriend of Casey Becker.

He is the second person to fall victim to the first Ghostface killing spree during the events of Scream (1996 film), also known as the Woodsboro Murders, preceding the original, off-screen murder of Maureen Prescott. His older brother, Danny Orth, appears in a cameo as a doctor in Scream 4 (2011 film), though his name is unmentioned in dialogue, and his name is only listed in the credits.

He was portrayed by Kevin Patrick Walls, who originally auditioned for Billy Loomis.

History

Background

Steven Orth, better known simply as "Steve", is the second-born son to Mr. and Mrs. Orth. He was born in the fall of 1978\9 in Woodsboro, California. During high school, Casey Becker dumped her boyfriend, Stu Macher. Following this, Casey pursued a relationship with Steve.

He grew up with his older brother, Danny Orth, who eventually became a radiologist doctor at Woodsboro Community Hospital. An early draft of Scream 4 revealed his brother was in medical school during the original murders.

The Woodsboro Murders (1996)

Prior to cold opening

On a Wednesday night in late-September 1996, Steven Orth is ambushed on the way to the Becker Residence. The ambush is committed by Casey's ex-boyfriend, Stu Macher, and his best friend, Billy Loomis, both disguised in Ghostface costumes. Having overpowered him in a two-man job, they tie him up, duct tape him and tie him to a chair.

Murder

Past 10 p.m. on a Wednesday night in September 1996, Steven's girlfriend, Casey Becker receives an anonymous phone call from a stranger (voiced by Roger L. Jackson). The mysterious voice insists on "getting to know" his girlfriend. In actuality, the mysterious voice is Billy Loomis, Casey's ex-boyfriend's best friend.

Unfortunately for Steve, Casey appears to flirt with the anonymous voice on the other line, a subtextual clue that while she was unfaithful and left Stu for him, she is unlikely to be faithful to her new boyfriend as well. Casey is later caught in a lie when the voice continues to have a conversation with her over the phone. Having previously stated she did not have a boyfriend, she later uses the line that her boyfriend will be in any minute to scare the "stranger" behind the voice to leave her alone.

Once Casey becomes aware that the stranger has the ability to see her from her house, she tries to threaten the individual on the other line, referring to the physical harm that will come to him. As she states, her boyfriend is "big" and "plays football", so he has the ability to outmuscle the stalker.

The caller, however, retorts at the statements made and then reveals he is all too familiar with her boyfriend. In a cunning tone, he says, "His name wouldn't happen to be Steve, would it?" Terrified at this, she asks how he knows his name. She is then told to turn on the porch lights. She shudders, before she looks out to see her boyfriend is gagged and duct taped to a deck chair on the patio at the back of Casey's home.

She attempts to go out, unstrap and rescue him. But as she opens the door, Ghostface warns her, "I wouldn't do that if I were you!" She closes the door asking the killer "Where are you?" and "Why are you doing this?" The killer tell her he wants to play a game. At first, she refuses and he threatens to kill Steven immediately. Ghostface ultimately coerces Casey into playing his death game.

Ghostface forced Casey to turn off the lights which Steven pleas Casey not to. Now, sobbing and scared wanting to rescue Steven, she tearfully turns the lights off and then is forced to answer his trivia questions about scary movies, with Steve's fate depending entirely on her answers. The voice/Ghostface on the other end makes the claim that if she follows the rules and answers all of the questions correctly, her boyfriend will live.

One question being on Halloween (1978 film) for a warm-up question, then one question for Steven's life on Friday the 13th. It turns out to be a trick question, as Casey incorrectly stated the killer to be Jason Voorhees. However, the voice/Billy had actually been referring to the original 1980 film, where Mrs. Pamela Voorhees is the killer, as Jason did not appear until the sequels.

Following this, Steve was disemboweled by Stu Macher, as a result of answering the second question "incorrectly"; however, it is likely that Billy or Stu would have murdered Steve regardless of Casey's answer to the Friday the 13th question. Given Stu's affiliated taste for horror movies and his previous connection to Casey, it is likely he chose this question intentionally for Billy to ask her.

Aftermath of murder

Steven's Death

Casey comes across Steve's corpse, still strapped to the chair, when she tries to run away from Ghostface. When Mr. and Mrs. Becker arrive back home to the Becker Residence after being away, they find a chair has broken through a window door and Steven's corpse in their backyard. As they have arrived, Ghostface is stabbing Steve's girlfriend to death.

It is later implied that the reason Casey and Steve were chosen to be victims was because Casey dumped Stu for Steve. Their classmate, Sidney Prescott, brings up Stu's past relationship with Casey to him. Randy Meeks is also suspicious and suspects Stu, in a fountain scene where the group ponder on who committed the crimes.

Legacy

The Windsor College Murders (1997)

During the events of Scream 2, a Windsor College senior, Phil Stevens, was murdered during the second Ghostface killing spree, simply due to having a family name that bears a close resemblance to Steve's first name.

This was later discovered by reporter Gale Weathers, who addressed this to Chief Lewis Hartley and former Woodsboro Deputy Dewey Riley after the murder of Cici Cooper, a sorority college student.

The Woodsboro Massacre Remake (2011)

Jenny Randall represents the less innocent side of Casey Becker with her bangs, but also the jock energy of Steven Orth (as she is more masculine than Marnie Cooper). In either version, she is stabbed multiple times to death. Jenny's corpse is then found bound to a chair by Dewey.

Cameo by his brother

During the Second Woodsboro Murders, Dr. Orth tells Sidney Prescott that she has no broken bones and she is lucky for that. Sidney smiles, and exits the x-ray hospital room. During the credits of the official, theatrical release, this older doctor, who appears to be around 50, is credited as "Dr. Orth".

An earlier draft of Scream 4 (2011 film) reveals a more extensive appearance from the character, who is actually Steve's older brother, Danny Orth.

In the draft, Sidney, Jill Roberts and Kirby Reed are being treated for their wounds at the hospital after Olivia Morris is killed; the physician is assisted by an intern. He stares too long at Sidney, who asks if they went to school together. He responds to her question, saying that it must have been his brother that she remembered, who was killed in the original Woodsboro Massacre.

The reason for this deletion was never revealed. It is possible that with time constraints, as well as Sidney not being able to recollect Judy Hicks from drama club, homeroom or their school play, that the scene would be unfeasible and over-complicate Hicks' role as the film's red herring. Despite this explicit reference removal, the doctor's crediting in the theatrical release makes Orth's relation canonical.

Other references

During the third annual Stab-A-Thon that occurs during his murder's 15th anniversary, many attendees are dressed up as several people from the original murder spree in Woodsboro. Some guys can be seen wearing letterman jackets meant as a homage to Steve.

Towards the end of the second act, Charlie Walker is tied to a chair while his romantic interest, Kirby, is forced to answer movie trivia to save his life. Charlie's situation mirrors Steve's and Kirby's mirrors Casey's. The difference is, that Kirby gets the answers right and unties Charlie, only for him to stab her and reveal himself as one of the killers.

The Woodsboro Legacy Murders (2022)

Several students, including Chad Meeks-Martin, can be seen wearing the same yellow and blue letterman jacket that Steven originally worn 26 years ago (continuity error).

The New York Murders (2023)

In the shrine created by Richie Kirsch, a mannequin can be seen wearing Steven's letterman jacket, along with the duct tape that was used to tie him up and the chair he was murdered by Stu in.

Quotes

  • (Muffling) ''NO CASEY! NO! NO! NO! CASEY!''

Relationships

Family

Allies

Enemies

Trivia

  • Some of Steven's death scene had to be cut because it showed a shot of Steve's entrails falling victim to gravity and sagging to the ground. However, there was a graphic shot left in of Steven's disemboweled body.
  • He is mentioned or referenced in every Scream film, except for Scream 3 (2000 film).
  • He was described as "a big, line backer of a guy" in the early script for Scream (1996).
  • Kevin Patrick Walls was a close contender to play Billy Loomis. He was so well-liked, that he was given the small role of Steve.
  • Steven is technically the second victim of the Woodsboro Murders (1995-1996) after Maureen Prescott, but the first-on screen victim in the Scream franchise, as his girlfriend Casey Becker, would technically be the second shown to die after him, but third overall in counting Maureen.
  • Steven is the first victim of the Scream franchise to not be seen unscathed and completely non-injured onscreen and killed by Ghostface without any interaction at all.
  • Steven is the first male victim and death of the Scream franchise, and the first gutted victim.
  • Goof: Even though Steve is only heard to be stabbed and sliced once, his torso is immediately mutilated and hallowed right after the first stab.
    • Unless it was a huge knife or another type of bladed weapon, this seems highly impossible unless they had "prepared in advance".
  • Deleted Scene: In a deleted scene from Scream 4 (2011 film), Jenny Randall is seen tied to a chair and gutted in a very similar way to Steve. The exact same scene is also where Wes Craven makes his cameo as a coroner. The killers do this to enact a Woodsboro Massacre Remake.
    • It was likely cut due to the reference later being used with Charlie and Kirby, rendering it unnecessary.
  • It is unknown who played him in the opening scene of the original Stab (1997 fictional film). From Tara Carpenter's own Quick Search results in the fifth film's opening, there does not appear to be an actor listed for Steve (as well as Neil Prescott or Sheriff Burke).
  • Additionally, Steve does not appear in the opening for Stab, shown in the opening for Scream 2 (1997 film). Maureen Evans and Phil Stevens sit down and watch Stab Casey Becker (played by Heather Graham) get murdered at the midnight screening for the eventual blockbuster hit, but it appears that the event to which Steve would appear in Stab is cut away from.

Gallery

 		Steven Orth has a Photo Gallery.

Appearances

Character Guide

Scream Characters
Principal Characters Sidney Prescott • Gale Weathers • Dewey Riley • Ghostface
Recurring Supporting Characters Randy Meeks • Cotton Weary
Supporting Characters Billy Loomis • Tatum Riley • Stu Macher • Kenny Brown • Sheriff Burke • Arthur Himbry • Casey Becker • Steven Orth
Recurring Minor Characters Neil Prescott • Maureen Prescott • Hank Loomis
Ghostface(s) Billy Loomis • Stu Macher