Kevin Williamson

Bursting onto the scene with the screenplay for the genre-reviving horror movie "Scream" (1996), writer-producer Kevin Williamson became well-known for his insightful take on youth-focused entertainment, creating hits both in film and on the small screen. The self-aware "Scream," which referenced numerous classics of the genre throughout the story, became a huge box office hit and turned unknowns like Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich and Rose McGowan into stars. Williamson followed up with another smash horror hit, "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (1997). Though not as hailed or influential, the movie was nonetheless another big success at the box office. Williamson used his clout to create the hour-long drama, "Dawson's Creek (The WB, 1998-2003), a semi-autobiographical series that reveled in its realistic depiction of problems faced by teenagers. He made his directorial debut with the comedic thriller "Teaching Mrs. Tingle" (1999), while enjoying the continued success of the sequels "Scream 2" (1997) and "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" (1998). But after leaving the show following its second season, Williamson hit a career skid that saw him flail with critically maligned shows like "Wasteland" (ABC, 1999) and "Hidden Palms" (The CW, 2007), as well as forgettable features like "Cursed" (2005). Williamson returned to prominence with "Vampire Diaries" (The CW, 2009-17) and the long-awaited "Scream 4" (2011), proving that he was still the master of teen-driven horror. Later efforts like "Stalker" (CBS 2015-16) and "Tell Me A Story" (CBS All Access 2018- ) found Williamson working with older actors to solid effect.