Matthew Lillard recounts the blockbuster sequel that derailed his career

Matthew Lillard was a beloved screen presence in the 1990s and early 2000s. The actor stole the show with supporting roles in Scream (1996) and She's All That (1999), and shined as the lead in indie releases like SLC Punk (1998). He seemed poised for a commercial breakthrough, and he thought he was going to have one in 2004.

Lillard was widely praised for his turn as Shaggy in the live-action Scooby-Doo (2002). The film was a commercial success, and the sequel, Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed, was poised to be an even bigger deal two years later. Except, it wasn't. And it took Lillard a while to recover.

Lillard admitted he tried to chase movie stardom

The actor recounted this unexpected turn of events during a recent interview with Business Insider. Lillard told the outlet that he was convinced Monsters Unleashed would be the film that made him a household name:

"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."

Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed was profitable, grossing $180 million at the global box office, but it paled in comparison to the first, in terms of both critical and fan reception. Lillard told the outlet that he became enamored with the notion of stardom at the time, and the failure of Monsters Unleashed forced him to reprioritize his goals as an actor.

Lillard has returned to his supporting actor roots

"I was caught up in this drive to be quote-unquote famous," he explained. "I said [to my agent], 'I just want to be an actor. I just want to be in movies. I want to reset my expectations.'" It took a bit for the actor to regain his momentum, but his reset proved to be successful.

Matthew Lillard has been a reliable supporting actor for the last two decades. He was terrific in Twin Peaks: The Return (2017), as well as the TV series Good Girls (2018-21). He also returned to his roots as a scene-stealer in Five Nights at Freddy's (2023) and he even reprised his performance as Shaggy in an episode of the animated series Jellystone! (2024).

We would cite the old adage about all being well that ends well, but Lillard has shown no sign of slowing down.