Matthew Lillard is one of the most recognisable stars of the ’90s and early 2000s, having starred in some of the most popular film franchises of the era.
In fact, you might feel some serious nostalgia reading this piece.
One of Lillard’s most iconic screen credits is the Scream franchise starring opposite Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox. He was part of the cast right from the very beginning when the first film came out in 1996.
He’s also known for playing Shaggy in 2002’s live-action Scooby-Doo, alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar Freddie Prinze Jr. and Linda Cardellini, and in the 2004 follow up.
He has also voiced Scooby’s goofy but loveable best friend in a number of projects and video games since.
So what happened to the quirky big-screen heartthrob and where is he now? Read on.
The roles that made a star
Scream and Scooby-Doo aren’t the only big-screen projects that made Lillard the major star he became.
Back in 1995, he appeared in the thriller Hackers alongside Angelina Jolie, and rom-com fans will remember him as Brock Hudson in 1999’s She’s All That.
However, it was Scream 1 and 2 that really helped cement his status in Hollywood.
2002’s Scooby-Doo was a box office success, but the second Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed was not, according to reports. A third installment was canned.
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In the years following, Lillard did lots of voice work and made short appearances in TV shows including Good Girls and House.
One of his most memorable films is 2004’s Without a Paddle, starring Dax Shepard and Seth Green.
He’s returning for Scream 7, alongside the likes of Neve Campbell. The movie is slated for release in 2026.
Scream star confirms return amid casting controversy
“I am very excited and slightly terrified to be back because all I can do is really screw up a legacy that we have,” he’s reported to have said.
“I could really suck, and so that’s my fear.”
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What happened to Matthew Lillard?
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, as Lillard admitted to Business Insider.
Discussing the ups and downs of his decades-long career, he said after Scooby-Doo 2, “I thought I’d be No. 1 on the call sheet for the next 10 years of movies.”
“And the reality was the exact opposite happened.”
The actor, who hails from Michigan, admitted he once thought he “was never going to work again” and that he’d become “irrelevant”, but soon realised he could broaden his horizons.
“One of the great moments in my life is understanding that I have power outside of just being an actor,” he said.
He has a reported net worth of $3.1 million.
Lillard turned to business, co-founding a spirit company called Find Familiar Spirits and reportedly has his own gaming company.
He is reportedly a huge fan of Dungeons & Dragons and released a “D&D-themed whiskey” according to Forbes.
“As a lifelong gamer, I felt that there was a consumer market just begging for attention,” he told the publication recently.
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Family life and relationship
Despite the self-professed ups and downs in his career, Lillard is married to wife Heather with the pair having one of the most rock-solid marriages in Hollywood.
The couple have been married for 24 years and share three kids.
Last year on their anniversary, Lillard shared a sweet tribute to his wife on Instagram.
“24 years of marriage. In Hollywood that’s equivalent to, like 47 human years. I am as lucky as it gets. I adore you madly Heather Lillard. True story,” he wrote.
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About the idea of his kids following in his acting footsteps (with two believed to be interesting in acting), he told E! News: “They know the reality of the business. I never pushed anyone into it, but I certainly wouldn’t deny the passion of my kids who are both artists.”
“It’s a blessing to have work, to still be relevant, to grow into my age and have the opportunity to keep feeding my kids.”
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