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Matthew Lillard is opening up about why he believes he’s still getting roles
In a new podcast interview, the actor chalked up his recent success to the popularity of nostalgia, saying, “people are longing for ye olde times”
Lillard starred as Shaggy in the early 2000s live-action Scooby-Doo films and in the original 1996 film Scream, among other early aughts classics
Matthew Lillard says the cultural driver behind his recent resurgence in Hollywood is nostalgia.
During a recent appearance on the Phase Hero podcast, the 56-year-old actor reflected on why audiences (and studios) seem to be embracing him again years after some of his most recognizable roles first hit the screen.
Lillard — who starred as Shaggy in the early 2000s live-action Scooby-Doo films and in the original 1996 film Scream, among other early aughts classics — said he believes the renewed interest in his work is tied to a broader longing for the past.
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Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich in Scream 1996
Credit: Dimension Films
“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,” Lillard said on the podcast, per Variety.
While Lillard says that at one point, he felt “irrelevant and thought I was never going to work again,” he acknowledged that reboots, revivals and legacy sequels have dominated the box office and streaming platforms, which led to fresh opportunities in his own career.
“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,” he said.
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In recent years, Lillard has appeared in the 2023 horror film Five Nights at Freddy’s — a role he reprised in a 2025 sequel — and other high-profile projects like 2025’s The Life of Chuck and the Marvel series Daredevil: Born Again.
“I think that’s why I’m working. I don’t think anyone really likes me. They just miss the old times,” Lillard said of the trend toward nostalgia while speaking on Phase Hero.
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