Matthew Lillard said during a recent appearance on the Phase Hero podcast that he believes nostalgia has played a big role in Hollywood’s recent resurgence.
“The first and second Scooby-Doo movies are more popular now than they were when they came out. So I think there’s a weird nostalgia going on in our industry and in the zeitgeist because I think people are nostalgic for the old days,” Lillard said. “Honestly, I think one of the reasons I’m in this moment right now is because I was recognized in the moment, so people started hiring me again.”
He later added with a laugh: “I think that’s why I work. I don’t think anyone really likes me. I just miss the old days.”
Lillard told Business Insider in 2024 that after reprising his role as Shaggy in Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, he thought he would be “number one on the movie call sheet for the next 10 years.” But unfortunately, after the film became a huge hit at the box office, “quite the opposite happened.” Lillard said at the time that the experience forced him to reprioritize his goals as an actor.
“I was obsessed with the success of what I was doing, I was obsessed with the roles I was getting, I was obsessed with the urge to be famous,” Lillard admitted. He later added: “I went through good times and bad times. I thought I was irrelevant and would never work again.”
Lillard’s first full-fledged return to Hollywood came in 2023 when he played William Afton in Five Nights at Freddy’s. Since then, his career has been steadily on the upswing. Other recent works include “The Life of Chuck,” “Five Nights and Freddy’s 2,” “Scream 7” and “Daredevil: Born Again.” He will soon appear on Mike Flanagan’s TV show Carrie and co-star with Pedro Pascal, Will Anlett and Olivia Wilde in Tony Gilroy’s Behemoth.
