Matthew Lillard thanks nostalgia for career resurgence: “I don’t think anyone actually likes me”
Scooby-Doo star Matthew Lillard has placed his recent career resurgence down to nostalgia.
Lillard, who became a household name thanks to his role as Shaggy in the Scooby-Doo movies in the early 2000s, recently opened up about the continual popularity of the series and why he’s thankful for its impact on his career.
Like any actor who has been in Hollywood for decades, Lillard’s career has had peaks and troughs, but fortunately, the Scream and Five Nights at Freddie’s actor now finds himself in demand again.
Speaking on the Brandon Davis Show podcast (per Variety), Lillard began by addressing the enduring success of Scooby-Doo, sharing, “Scooby-Doo one and two are more popular now than they ever were when they came out. So I do think there’s a weird nostalgia thing happening in our industry and in the zeitgeist because I think that people are longing for ye olde times.”
He then shared his belief that this is why he’s back working on huge projects, adding, “I think that’s one of the reasons I’m having this moment to be honest, is because I was identified in that moment, so people are hiring me again.”
Lillard self-deprecatingly added, “I think that’s why I’m working. I don’t think anyone really likes me. They just miss the old times.”
Last year, Lillard’s peers rallied around him after he found himself unexpectedly on the receiving end of criticism from Quentin Tarantino, along with Owen Wilson and Paul Dano.
Responding to the unnecessary insult, Lillard admitted, “Listen, the point is that hurts your feelings. It fuckin’ sucks. And you wouldn’t say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldn’t say that to somebody who’s a top-line actor in Hollywood.”
Next up for Lillard is a role in Tony Gilroy’s Behemoth!, which also stars Olivia Wilde, Pedro Pescal and Will Arnett.
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