Matthew Lillard has a refreshingly self-aware theory about why Hollywood has come calling again, and it has nothing to do with a sudden rediscovery of his talent.
Talking about the Phase Hero On the podcast, Lillard pointed directly to nostalgia as the driving force behind his recent resurgence.
“Scooby-Doo one and two are more popular now than when they came out. So I think there’s a strange nostalgia going on in our industry and in the zeitgeist because I think people long for the old days,” he said.
“To be honest, I think that’s one of the reasons I’m going through this moment, because I was identified at that time, so people are hiring me again.”
He continued laughing: “I guess that’s why I’m working. I don’t think anyone likes me. They just miss the old days.”
It’s a candid shot from someone who’s been through considerable turbulence in Hollywood.
After reprising his role as Shaggy in Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters UnleashedLillard expected him to launch a new chapter.
Instead, when the film underperformed at the box office, the opposite happened. he said Insider business information in 2024, he was convinced he would be “number one on the shortlist for the next 10 years of movies,” and then spent years feeling irrelevant.
“I was caught up in the success of what I was doing, I was caught up in the roles I was getting, I was caught up in this drive to be, quote, famous,” he admitted.
“I’ve been through good times and bad times. I’ve been irrelevant and thought I’d never work again.”
The change began in 2023, when he was cast as William Afton in Five nights at Freddy’s.
Since then, momentum has been steadily growing. His recent credits include Chuck’s life, Five nights at Freddy’s 2, Shout 7 and Daredevil: Born Again.
He will soon appear in Mike Flanagan’s film. Carrie Television series and star alongside Pedro Pascal, Will Arnett and Olivia Wilde in Tony Gilroy’s giant.
Nostalgia or not, that’s a great lineup.
