Nancy Loomis

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Nancy Loomis
General Information
Other Names	"Debbie Salt" (false identity) Deb (by Mickey Altieri) Good Mother (by herself) Crazy as her son was (by Sidney Prescott) "Local woman" (by Gale Weathers) Ghostface #4
Age	44
Born	1953
Death	Midnight, April 13-14, 1997 (according to Scream VI). Cause: Shot in the chest by Cotton Weary. Shot in the head by Sidney Prescott.
Personality	Vengeful mother Mentally ill Psycho
Occupation	Ghostface #4 Unknown, affluent job to pay Mickey's tuition *Posing as a "journalist" (as the "Debbie Salt" persona)
Home	Woodsboro, California (until 1995) Unknown (1995—1997)
Goal	Avenge her son's death (failed). Frame Mickey Altieri as the sole killer (failed).
Weapons	Bowie knife, Glock 17
Status	Deceased
Appearances	Scream 2 (1997 film) Scream VI (photograph)
Relationships
Romance	Hank Loomis (ex-husband/cheated spouse)
Relatives	Hank Loomis (ex-husband) Billy Loomis † (son) Samantha Carpenter (biological granddaughter) Tara Carpenter (step-granddaughter) Christina Carpenter (ex-daughter-in-law)
Allies	Mickey Altieri † (betrayed accomplice; Ghostface #3)
Enemies	Sidney Prescott (prime target/son's ex-girlfriend and killer) Gale Weathers (secondary target/son's killer) Dewey Riley † (attempted victim) Randy Meeks † (unintended target/son's attempted killer) Cotton Weary † (killer) Hank Loomis (cheated spouse) Maureen Prescott † (affair with cheated spouse) Mickey Altieri † (accomplice/betrayed) Christina Carpenter (ex-daughter-in-law)
Actors/Actresses
Portrayed by	Laurie Metcalf
Stab Portrayal	Unknown

“	Randy spoke poorly of Billy and I got a little knife happy.	”
–Nancy to Sidney Prescott with a gun.

Nancy Loomis (née unknown), also known by the alias Debbie Salt, was the main antagonist of Scream 2 (1997 released film). She is the mastermind copycat Ghostface of The Windsor College Murders, which occurred sometime in 1997 in the state of Ohio. The character was previously mentioned in the original film, having abandoned her only son Billy Loomis sometime the year prior in 1995, after discovering her husband's affair with Maureen Prescott.

After this decision, she endures enormous grief and guilt after learning of his role as a serial killer in the 1996 Woodsboro Murders which culminated in his death. Nancy then targets two Woodsboro survivors in Ohio. These individuals being Billy's girlfriend, the now-famed survivor Sidney Prescott — daughter of the woman her ex-husband had an affair with, as well as reporter/author Gale Weathers — for her subsequent exploitation of her grief through her best-selling book that inspired the upcoming slasher film, Stab (1998), telling the true story of it all.

After losing sixty pounds and pursuing cosmetic surgery, Nancy adapted a false identity, "Debbie Salt" and enlisted Mickey Altieri, a rare find on the internet. Altieri was an aspiring/contract serial killer; she gave him maternal "guidance" and "nurturing", even offering to pay his college tuition as a film student.

Nancy agrees to Mickey's idea for a copycat Ghostface killing spree inspired by the original — a real-life sequel, with more brutality. With his personal desire for an infamous trial, Nancy's secretly self-interested agenda was old-fashioned revenge. She secretly operated with the full intent to frame Mickey as the sole killer.

Ultimately, Mickey is shot by "Deb", hoping to frame him as the sole killer (having even killed with her left-hand to match autopsy forensics similar to his left-handedness). While targeting Gale, she murders Randy instead in rage over his comments against her son. Later, Cotton Weary's interference foils her plan to kill Sidney as well, and he chooses to shoot her. Later, Sidney shoots her in the head to ensure her demise is permanent.

Biography

Family and Divorce from Husband

The official screenplay for Scream 4 (2011 film) written by Kevin Williamson, reveals Nancy's real name, after her alias was used in Scream 2 (1997 film).

Nancy abandoned her only child, Billy sometime before/during 1995 after she discovered that her husband, Hank Loomis, had been having an affair with fellow Woodsboro resident, Maureen Prescott.

During or likely after this timeframe, in the fall of 1995, Roman Bridger, Maureen's birth son, had been stalking Maureen, as well as Nancy's husband, recording their affair.

Coincidentally, Maureen's daughter was Sidney Prescott, Billy's girlfriend. Billy and his best friend, Stu Macher, killed Maureen after she seduced a drunken Cotton Weary and he left his coat behind after leaving. They planted evidence against Cotton as the killer. One year later, they had continued on their killing spree, but Billy and Stu were ultimately killed by Sidney.

Nancy is grief-stricken by her son's death and unable to come to terms with her own abandonment of him, which partly influenced Billy's decision making. He credited his mother's abandonment as a motive, despite not truly believing in motives and believing it was scarier without them saying, "Maternal abandonment causes serious deviant behavior".

After this, she began searching for a serial killer to help her take revenge. After losing sixty pounds and pursuing cosmetic face work, a "make-over" as she refers to it, Nancy searched online. Due to there only being 95 active serial killers in the country, it proved to be difficult, but 20-something Mickey Altieri was "quite a find". (It is unknown whether Mickey was a legitimate, experienced contract-killer or whether being "on his way up" meant that he killed before, but not quite to the level of serial killing).

Mickey agreed to execute a copycat killing spree of the original Woodsboro murders in exchange for guidance, tuition expenses and to become famous from the trial. What he did not know was her intention of killing him afterwards to conceal her identity and frame him for all the murders.

Amid all of this, she created the false identity "Debbie Salt", a reporter for a local newspaper, who poses as a massive fan of reporter, author and Woodsboro survivor Gale Weathers.

The Windsor College Murders

The Stab (1997) Premiere

Now "Debbie Salt", she and Mickey's first victims were Windsor college seniors, 22-year-olds Phil Stevens and Maureen Evans, as their names were similar to the original Woodsboro victims Maureen Prescott and Steven Orth. Maureen and Phil were attending the premiere of Stab, a film based on Gale weathers book about The Woodsboro Murders.

When Phil went to the bathroom, it is possible it was Debbie Salt that hid in the stall next to his and started making mumbling noises. Phil's curiosity led him to put his head against the stall wall to hear better. She or Mickey then stuck a knife through the stall wall into Phil's ear, killing him.

While Luke Wilson stars as her son in the recent weekend release of Stab in theatres, Nancy has her own role to play on Windsor College campus, "Debbie Salt".

Debbie then gave Phil's jacket to Mickey (if she killed Phil) who went into the theatre wearing it over his Ghostface costume. Maureen thinking it was Phil, put her head on Mickey's shoulder when the movie got frightening and noticed blood on her hands from the jacket, and was then stabbed to death in front of the crowd, an assumed PR stunt by the crowd.

Gale "Super-Fan"

The following day, Nancy as "Debbie Salt" arrives at Windsor College formally introducing herself, even slightly annoying Gale. That same night, she and Mickey prepare to claim their third victim, a film student named Casey Cooper, who goes by the nickname Cici, having the same forename as one of the original targets Casey Becker. She was killed by either Mickey or Nancy.

Mrs. Loomis annoying Gale.

Nancy later appears again as "Debbie Salt" in the front of the sober house where it has now become an official crime scene after the discovery of Cici's lifeless body. She briefly encounters Gale before leaving, letting her know Cici's name and description.

She later sneaks to the side of the house off-screen and calls Sidney saying, "Hello Sidney, remember me?" (Indicating their personal connection and history) and Sidney responds, "What do you want?", Nancy replies, "I want you, it's show time" and Sidney finally snaps, "Then why don't you show your face, you fucking coward?"

Nancy runs off because of her deadline

Amid this almost concurrently with the tail-end of Ghostface's speech, Nancy enters the house saying, "My pleasure" and chases her through the house. Nancy slashes Derek Feldman across the arm. This only aroused suspicion onto Derek by Dewey and Randy, fellow Woodsboro survivor and film geek.

Copycat design exposure

The next day, Gale figures out the copycat killing pattern, which is what Nancy intended for Gale to do. She later informs "Debbie Salt" (Nancy) of this for a brief moment. Nancy, expecting Gale to figure it out, is concocting Gale's own murder.

She hides in Joel's news van (owned by Gale's cameraman) in broad daylight, as she watches Dewey, Randy, Gale and her cameraman Joel sitting down from afar. However, as the four discuss the murders, it is Randy who answers the phone for Gale.

Calling Gale, Randy Answers

Nancy finally plans to kill her own target — Gale Weathers who is sitting in the middle of a large campus park area.

A mother's rage: Nancy kills Randy Meeks, the fourth victim of her masterminded copycat killing spree. (Scream 2)

Randy answers the phone and explains to Dewey and Gale that it's the killer. Randy keeps Mrs. Loomis on the phone per Dewey's request, while Gale and Dewey disperse and search the surrounding area for people with a mobile phone in their hand. While stalling Nancy, Randy is critical of Billy and Stu.

However, his insults about Billy cause Nancy Loomis herself to become "a little knife happy". Amid his rant, she aggressively pulls Randy into Joel's news van, throwing him against the news van window, slashing his throat and stabbing him in the chest four times. She escapes before they discover Randy is missing.

Finally, Nancy as "Debbie Salt" once again approaches Gale, after Cotton's interrogation and Sidney's threatening IM messages in the college library. Gale grows tired of her constant chattering and irritant act. Gale insults "Debbie" and sends her off.

Nancy chases Gale.

That night, Nancy attacks Dewey and Gale inside the Windsor College video archives rooms where Nancy stabs Dewey in the back, almost completely killing him. Then, she attempts to kill Gale. However, she ultimately gives up since the glass is resistant to damage.

Mommy Dearest

While Mickey reveals his identity to Sidney and murders Derek, he also reveals he had been who killed Maureen Evans, Officer Andrews, Officer Richards and Hallie McDaniel. Meanwhile, Gale catches Nancy outside the theatre on a call, and forces her to hang up, exclaiming the killer is Cotton Weary. At this point, off-screen, Nancy finally threatens Gale at gunpoint and lures her back into Windsor College Theatre.

Moments before Nancy held Gale Weathers at gunpoint.

She arrives, having lost her "Debbie" persona and is as wide-eyed and unhinged as her late son was. This is where she is revealed as the mastermind copycat killer, as well as her identity as Billy's mother. "Deb" suddenly double-crosses and shoots Mickey in the left shoulder once and in the chest twice. As Mickey slumps to the floor, he shoots Gale in the side which causes her to fall, presumed dead into the instrumental area next to the stage. Mickey drops as well to the floor, apparently dead.

Debbie reveals herself as the killer.

She explains her motivation to Sidney, intending to kill her, pinning all the murders on Mickey, revealing how everything is traceable back to Mickey, and when Sidney reminds her that she abandoned her own son, she contradicts her claim as a good mother. Nancy goes on a rage about "it all starts with the family" and "blaming parents", before suggesting Maureen is responsible.

Death

A brief chase hence ensues between Nancy and Sidney, which concludes with Nancy holding Sidney with a large knife pressed against her throat. Cotton then arrives with a loaded gun in his hand. She tries to negotiate with Cotton, offering him what his heart desires in an attempt to convince him to shoot Sidney rather than her.

Cotton points the gun at Nancy where he mentions that the Diane Sawyer interview mentioned earlier is looking pretty good compared to her other options. Sidney, much to Nancy and Cotton's surprise, agrees to the interview, giving Cotton the opportunity to shoot Nancy in the chest. Cotton and Sidney are hence surprised by Gale being alive and only wounded, as he helps her out. The three of them are left wondering if Mrs. Loomis is really dead or not, a reference to Randy's line of "the moment when the supposably dead killer comes back to life for one last scare" from the first movie.

Nancy after being shot twice.

To their surprise, Mickey leaps forward screaming, only to be really killed by a hailstorm of bullets fired by Sidney and Gale. Sidney turns again and shoots Mrs. Loomis in her forehead. As an explanation for this, Sidney simply states "Just in case!", before dropping the gun and leaving the theatre. Cotton and Gale follow her.

Legacy

Her role in the copycat killing spree was adapted into a film, Stab 2 (1999) released the following year starring Tori Spelling yet again. it is unknown who portrayed Nancy. Fans were upset over Randy's death.

25 years after her death, Nancy's granddaughter Samantha Carpenter became a victim to a new Ghostface killing spree, with the killers inspired by her son's icon status as Ghostface in the original Stab film based on his killing spree. The new killers planned to frame her granddaughter but were unsuccessful.

During the New York Murders, Ghostface killer Ethan Landry wore Nancy's mask that had been stolen from police evidence by Wayne Bailey.

Murders Committed

Confirmed Murders

	Randy Meeks	Stabbed 4 times in chest and throat slit	Scream 2
	Mickey Altieri	Shot thrice in shoulder (before being shot multiple times by Gale and Sidney)	Scream 2

Speculated Murders

Cici Cooper

Thrown through glass door, stabbed in the back twice and thrown off balcony.

Scream 2

Relationships

Family Hank Loomis - Ex-husband Billy Loomis † - Son Samantha Carpenter - Granddaughter Christina Carpenter - Mother of granddaughter Tara Carpenter - Step granddaughter Allies Mickey Altieri † - Accomplice / Victim

Enemies Woodsboro, California Maureen Prescott † - Affair with husband Hank Loomis † - Affair Sidney Prescott - Murdered her son / Attempted victim and primary target Gale Weathers - Attempted victim and secondary target Dewey Riley † - Attempted victim Randy Meeks † - Victim Windsor College Derek Feldman † - Indirect victim Phil Stevens † - Indirect victim Cici Cooper † - Indirect victim Maureen Evans † - Indirect victim Hallie McDaniel † - Indirect victim Cotton Weary † - Victim / Killer Officer Andrews † - Indirect victim Officer Richards † - Indirect victim

Quotes

As Ghostface

• "Hello Sidney! Remember me?"
• "Have you ever felt a knife cut through human flesh... and scrape the bone beneath?"
• "Why are you even here, Randy? You'll never be the leading man."
• "No matter how hard you try, you'll never be the hero, and you'll never, ever get the girl. Wrong guy, dead boy."

Speculated as Ghostface

• "Do you wanna die tonight, Cici?"
• "You wish it was Ted. Don't forget to set the alarm!"

After reveal

• "It's called a makeover. You should try it. Looking a little tired yourself there, Gale."
• "Oh, Mickey, there's not going to be a trial."
• "Mickey was a good boy, but my God? That whole "'blame the movies'" motive? Did you buy that for one second? Poor boy was completely out of his mind."
• "No, I'm very sane. My motive isn't as 90s as Mickey's. Mine is just good, old-fashioned revenge. You killed my son! And now I kill you and I can't think of anything more rational."
• "What did you just say? Was that a negative, disparaging remark about my son? About my Billy?"
• "Not wise to patronize me with a gun, Sidney. Randy spoke poorly of Billy, and I got a little knife happy."
• "You don't know what it is to be a mother. To raise a child, to teach him and guide him!"

Trivia

"No. I'm very sane."

• She is the first female Ghostface in the franchise.
• The only Ghostface to be mentioned in a previous film before their appearance. (She is mentioned in the original Scream).
• Her alias name Debbie Salt is an homage to Jennifer Salt, the actress who portrays reporter Grace Collier in the 1972 horror film, Sisters.
• She handles most (possibly all) calls in the sequel.
• Her true forename Nancy is never mentioned on-screen, and is only revealed in the script for Scream 4 (2011), similar to other characters in the film franchise, such as Joel and Hoss. It is first mentioned on-screen in Scream VI.
  • In the script, Kirby Reed must answer Stab trivia in a game to save Charlie's life. She mentions Debbie Salt/Nancy Loomis, on the 99th page of the script.
• Inspired by Pamela Voorhees, the killer in the original Friday the 13th. Pamela was mentioned by both Ghostface in Scream (1996) and Randy in Scream 2. Both characters strongly resemble each other:
  • They kill people to avenge their son's deaths.
  • They use a knife as a weapon
  • They have a huge influence on their son's actions and fate.
  • They are addressed as "Mrs. Voorhees" and "Mrs. Loomis", indicating their marriage and maternal roles.
• Her name Nancy Loomis is a reference to the actress of Annie Brackett in John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic, Halloween.
  • Nancy Loomis who portrayed Annie now goes by Nancy Kyes since her marriage.
  • Her son and granddaughter's names are also Halloween references, especially her granddaughter Sam Carpenter, secretly Billy's daughter, making her a Loomis (Donald Pleasance's character is Sam Loomis, which is an homage to a character from Psycho).
• She was described as "a flashy woman - all hair and teeth, thick sunglasses" in the original script. The character became more unassuming in the final version. Her cover story changed from being a Newsweek reporter to working for a local paper.
• In an old draft, Nancy as one of three killers. Her accomplices being Hallie and Derek, who was a film student and resembled Mickey in this version. She also willingly admitted to her insanity whereas in the final cut, she vehemently denied being mentally ill.
• Nancy stabs Randy to death left-handed. This is another clue to her agenda in framing Mickey and escaping, as Mickey himself is left-handed, connecting him to the crime (and is mentioned as left-handed in a deleted scene). Even something as trivial as to the hand used to stab victims, which is noticed in an autopsy.
  • After Cici's death, Nancy is seen writing with her right hand as the famous "Red Right Hand" song plays, a hint towards her role as framing Mickey in the killings.
• It is unknown who played her in Stab 2 (1999 Scream-universe film).
• When Gale and Dewey are watching the video tapes that Joel filmed, a glimpse of Nancy can be seen when Gale told her a quote for her blog.
• After Sidney smashed a bottle to Nancy's head and locked herself, Nancy tried to get to Sidney, when she almost fell down, where a glimpse of Gale's body is seen not moving.
• Hints at being the killer:
  • She only speaks to Gale
  • She indicates the killer is from Woodsboro.
  • Her true forename was now Mentioned in the Sixth Film the first time.
  • At somehow, she was the first Ghostface killer to betray accomplice for the very first time.
• Laurie Metcalf appeared on a few episodes of the third season of Desperate Dousewives as Carolyn Bigsby and shares similarities to her Scream 2 character Nancy Loomis:
  • Both of their husbands are having affairs.
    • Just like Nancy's son Billy, this is what causes Carolyn to snap:
      • The sad irony about Carolyn is she wasn't a villain and was actually trying to warn one of the main character Bree Van De Kamp (played Marcia Cross) about her new husband Orson Hodge (played by Kyle MacLachlan) when his ex-wife and her best friend Alma went missing. Carolyn only snapped when she found out her husband Harvey was having an affair.
  • Both commit at least one murder. Nancy Kills Randy Meeks while Caorlyn kills Nora Huntington (played Kiersten Warren), ironically after learning she was trying to ruin the marriage of Lynette Scavo (played by Felicity Huffman), one of the main characters.
  • Both hold some of the main characters at gunpoint.
  • Both Wound one of the main characters in their respective show and movie. Nancy Shoots Gale Weathers and Carolyn shoots Lynette Scavo.
  • Both are shot to death in the head.
  • She became the 4th Ghostface Killer.

Gallery

Nancy Loomis has a Photo Gallery.

Appearances

• Scream 2 (1997 film)
• Scream VI (photograph)

Character Guide

Ghostface Killers
Scream killers	Billy Loomis • Stu Macher
Scream 2 killers	Mickey Altieri • Nancy Loomis
Scream 3 killers	Roman Bridger
Scream 4 killers	Charlie Walker • Jill Roberts
Scream (2022) killers	Amber Freeman • Richie Kirsch
Scream VI killers	Jason Carvey • Wayne Bailey • Ethan Landry • Quinn Bailey