Matthew Lillard

Early life

Lillard was born in Lansing, Michigan, on January 24, 1970, the son of Paula and Jeffrey Lillard (b. 1948), and grew up in Tustin, California. He has a younger sister, and attended Foothill High School in North Tustin, California. He later attended Fullerton College and then went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, California, with fellow actor Paul Rudd. He also attended Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York City.

Career

After high school, Lillard was co-host of a short-lived TV show titled SK8-TV, and afterwards was hired as an extra in Ghoulies 3: Ghoulies Go to College (1991). In 1994, he was cast in the John Waters black comedy Serial Mom. The following year he was cast in five films, including Hackers, a thriller about a group of high school kids who thwart a multimillion-dollar corporate extortion conspiracy. In 1996, he was cast as Stu Macher in the horror film Scream. He also played Stevo in the independent film SLC Punk!, and supporting character Dennis Rafkin in Thirteen Ghosts. He was originally meant to reprise his role of Stu Macher in 2000's Scream 3 but the plans were changed.

Lillard was cast as Norville "Shaggy" Rogers in the 2002 live-action film Scooby-Doo, a role he later reprised in the 2004 sequel Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. When Casey Kasem, who had voiced the character from the show's debut in 1969, retired in 2009, Lillard was chosen to take over and voice Shaggy in the three subsequent animated series, Mystery Incorporated, Be Cool Scooby-Doo!, and Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, as well as every animated direct-to-video film since 2010's Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo. Lillard, however, did not voice Shaggy in the animated Scooby-Doo reboot Scoob!, with the character instead being voiced by SNL alum Will Forte. Although Lillard was disappointed with the casting decision, he still wished the film good luck.

In 2011, Lillard guest starred on the Fox series House. In 2011, he produced and directed his first feature film, Fat Kid Rules the World, based on the K. L. Going book of the same name. Later that year, he appeared in the comedy-drama film The Descendants. Lillard also reprised the voice role of Shaggy in the crossover episode in the television series Supernatural in 2018.

In 2012, Lillard guest-starred in the Criminal Minds episode "The Apprenticeship". The following year, he played the role of Daniel Frye on the American TV series The Bridge. In 2014, Lillard starred as Peter in the animated film Under Wraps, alongside Brooke Shields and Drake Bell. In 2017, Lillard starred as William Hastings in the third season of Twin Peaks. The next year, he began co-starring as Dean Boland on the NBC series Good Girls.

In 2016, Lillard landed the recurring role of FBI undercover agent Luke Goshen in the Amazon Series, Bosch. In 2022, Lillard was cast for the live-action movie adaptation of the Five Nights at Freddy's video game series. The film came out the following year.

He gained renewed recognition for his role as William Afton, a manipulative serial killer, in Five Nights at Freddy's. U.S. entertainment publication The Hollywood Reporter stated that he had entered "his Renaissance era" in popular culture, noting that the movie had the third highest ever domestic box office return for a horror film during its opening weekend. Lillard has credited his children as inspiring him both to take on the role and to give a dominating, assertive performance as the franchise's overarching villain.

In an interview, Lillard elaborated,

In 2024, he appeared in filmmaker Mike Flanagan's film The Life of Chuck.

In January 2025, it was announced that Lillard was returning to the Scream franchise for its seventh entry, having previously played Stuart "Stu" Macher in the first film.

Other ventures

Lillard was one of the co-founders of Beadle and Grimm's, a company that publishes licensed expanded products, usually of a limited edition, from Wizards of the Coast games including Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.

Lillard co-founded the company Find Familiar Spirits, which develops and sells specialized alcoholic beverages.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/shopping/matthew-lillard-quests-end-dungeons-dragons-whiskey-brand-1235571746/|title=Matthew Lillard on Launching Dungeons & Dragons-Inspired Whiskey, His Dream Table, More (Exclusive)

Personal life

On August 26, 2000, Lillard married Heather Helm, with whom he has three children. They reside in Los Angeles.

In October 2005, he participated in a Dungeons & Dragons tournament, against members of the Quest Club Gaming Organization, at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. Lillard has also played Dungeons & Dragons with the online series Dice, Camera, Action with Christopher Perkins as the Dungeon Master; as well as with the Critical Role cast at a special one-shot with Sam Riegel as the Dungeon Master.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Music videos

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. (July 12, 2010). "Matthew Lillard Talks Shaggy Rogers And 'Scooby-Doo'".
2. Cullins, Ashley. (November 10, 2023). "Matthew Lillard on "Humbling and Exciting" 'Five Nights at Freddy's' Success and Creating Authentic Experiences for Fans". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
3. Rose, Mike. (January 24, 2023). "Today's famous birthdays list for January 24, 2023 includes celebrities Neil Diamond, Aaron Neville".
4. (October 15, 2008). "Outdoor Movies Take Place at Gig Harbor Film Festival in Washington".
5. (June 15, 2009). "Mineral Hosts Third Annual Independent Film Festival". The Chronicle.
6. "Matthew Lillard Biography (1970–)".
7. (January 18, 2022). "Matthew Lillard was supposed to be Scream 3's villain".
8. Brian Gallagher. (2009-11-06). "EXCLUSIVE: Matthew Lillard Puts His Improv Chops on Display".
9. Kaseko, Baraka. (March 5, 2018). "Matthew Lillard teaches us how to do the voice of Shaggy from Scooby-Doo".
10. (October 3, 2015). "Matthew Lillard: 'I'm proud of Scooby-Doo movies now'".
11. Bonomolo, Cameron. (March 3, 2019). "'Scooby-Doo' Reboot: Shaggy Actor Matthew Lillard Wasn't Told He Was Being Replaced". Comicbook.com.
12. (March 2, 2019). "Truly heartbreaking. I feel like they should have used celebs in the supporting cast but kept the original gang. People want to hear the voices they grew up with. At least they kept Frankie. #ScoobyDooMovie".
13. (May 16, 2020). "Scooby-Doo Alum Matthew Lillard Cheers On Scoob!'s Digital Launch".
14. (May 18, 2020). "Scoob! Still Has Matthew Lillard Bummed That He's Not Playing Shaggy".
15. "Keck's Exclusives: Matthew Lillard Checks in to House".
16. {{IMDb title. 1995304. Fat Kid Rules the World
17. (2011). "'The Descendants' (2011): Acting Credits". [[The New York Times]].
18. (March 19, 2018). "Check Out 27 Images From 'Scoobynatural'-- The 'Supernatural'/'Scooby-Doo' Crossover Event".
19. Paz, Maggie Dela. (2023-10-26). "The Life of Chuck Cast Adds Matthew Lillard & More to Stephen King Movie".
20. Murphy, J. Kim. (January 30, 2025). "Matthew Lillard Returning for ‘Scream 7’".
21. "About Us".
22. "Mattew Lillard Biography". [[A&E (TV channel).
23. Madler, Mark R.. (October 26, 2005). "Here there be dragons". [[Burbank Leader]].
24. (March 14, 2007). "Matthew Lillard Plays Dungeons & Dragons". YouTube.
25. (December 20, 2017). "Episode 74 - Dice, Camera, Action with Dungeons & Dragons".
26. (November 9, 2022). "ACCESSING NSAA DATABASE...LOADING PROFILE...WELCOME, PROJECT NORD DIRECTOR @MatthewLillard".
27. TV Guide. "Matthew Lillard List of Movies and TV Shows - TV Guide".
28. Turner Classic Movies. "Matthew Lillard - Turner Classic Movies".
29. "Matthew Lillard (visual voices guide)".
30. Anderton, Ethan. (August 5, 2021). "'He's All That' Trailer: Imagine An Algorithm Trying To Disguise Itself As A High School Rom-Com".
31. McWhertor, Michael. (August 31, 2021). "New Mortal Kombat movie canonizes Ultra Instinct Shaggy".
32. Ferguson, Murray. (January 26, 2022). "Scream 2022: Every Returning Character Voice Cameo Explained".
33. DiVincenzo, Alex. (December 15, 2023). "Exclusive Interview: Matthew Lillard Is Excited to Have a Brand New Horror Movie Franchise to Call Home".
34. McGuigan, Molly. (2025-09-22). "Matthew Lillard Teases Stu's Role in 'Familiar' Scream 7".
35. (December 5, 2025). "Five Nights At Freddy's 2 Ending & Post-Credits Scenes Explained: How They Set Up FNAF3".
36. Kroll, Justin. (January 29, 2025). "Matthew Lillard Is Coming Back For ‘Scream 7’".
37. Grobar, Matt. (November 14, 2025). "Alexa Swinton, Margarita Levieva & Matthew Lillard Latest To Join Tony Gilroy’s ‘Behemoth!’ At Searchlight".
38. Ayoola, Simbiat. (February 2, 2023). "'True Lies' Series Trailer Reveals a Familiar Face From the James Cameron Movie".
39. Petski, Denise. (August 19, 2024). "'Killer Cakes' Gory Competition Baking Special Set At Prime Video With Matthew Lillard, Danielle Harris & Nikk Alcaraz".
40. Harris, Raquel 'Rocky'. (July 20, 2025). "Where to Watch ‘Robot Chicken: Self-Discovery Special’".
41. Petski, Denise. (December 22, 2025). "‘Cross’ Unveils First-Look Season 2 Photos Of Aldis Hodge, Matthew Lillard, Alona Tal & Isaiah Mustafa".
42. Grobar, Matt. (February 28, 2025). "Matthew Lillard Joins ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2".
43. Cordero, Rosy. (June 2, 2025). "‘Carrie’ Series Officially Sets Summer Howell As Lead; Samantha Sloyan, Josie Totah & Amber Midthunder Among Cast".
44. McWhertor, Michael. (November 18, 2021). "New fighter MultiVersus is Smash Bros. but with Bugs Bunny, Batman, and Game of Thrones". [[Polygon (website).
45. Dedmon, Tanner. (May 9, 2025). "Dead by Daylight Brings Matthew Lillard Back for Five Nights at Freddy’s DLC".
46. "Mar del Plata Film Festival (1999)".
47. "Kids' Choice Awards, USA (2003)".
48. "Gotham Awards (2011)".
49. "Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards (2011)".
50. "Behind the Voice Actors Awards (2012)".
51. "Central Ohio Film Critics Association (2012)".
52. "Oldenburg Film Festival (2012)".
53. "SXSW Film Festival (2012)".
54. "BTVA Voice Acting Awards 2012".
55. "Zlín International Film Festival for Children and Youth (2013)".
56. "Behind the Voice Actors Awards (2014)".