From Stu and Stevo to Scooby-Doo’s sidekick Shaggy, no movie from the 90s or early 2000s felt complete unless Matthew Lillard was in it.
When it comes to millennium cult classics, Lillard was an undisputed staple. Appeared in romantic comedies like Summer catch and She is all that to the film that would launch him into “horror icon” status, screamsLillard’s comedic relief and magnetic relief on screen seemed all over the place and screams director Wes Craven he knew it from the beginning.
“Wes Craven pulled me aside one day and said, ‘You’re going to win an Oscar one day,'” Lillard recalled at a convention on the set of the 1996 hit. “I said, ‘Shut up. You need to call my mom and dad and tell them this. So he ordered the phone to be brought in and called my mother.
Although the actor has had a following for decades, he rejected the idea of being loved for his previous work – until recently.
“Now I love being able to celebrate things (like screams), he said Rolling Stone in an October 2024 interview. “Not that I’m interested in holding them that tight. But all my life I always thought, “Who cares what I did before? Let’s just move on to the next one. Now that I’m older, I’m not as interested in what’s next.
Lillard admitted that there’s a bit of an “era 2.0” going on in his career — he’s recently been involved in hits like Good Girls, Five Nights at Freddy’s and more – and he couldn’t be more grateful for the love.
“I’m super grateful for that. You know, when you’re young and you’re coming up screams happens, you’re always looking for what’s next, what’s more, right? Especially as a young actor, you’re like “screams it happened but yeah whatever – i want more. And that’s when you’re at the top of your journey, when you’re nearing the end of your career—not that I’m there right now, but I’m not the new kid on the block, am I? You certainly appreciate it so much on such a deeper level,” he said. “It’s so funny, you know. The moment you say to yourself, “Oh, I’m s—,” you immediately disappear. Then you fall the furthest.”
While Lillard may be in the prime of his career now, fans will never forget how it all began. Keep scrolling for a look back at Lillard in his best roles from the ’90s and early ’00s:
Serial Mom (1994)
Lillard’s first foray into the horror genre came in 1994. with Serial motherblack comedy about housewife Beverly Sutphin (Kathleen Turner), who discovers she has a taste for murder after running someone over with her car. Young Lillard describes her son, Chip, as he watches his mother become increasingly out of control – and dangerous. The film is as silly as it is scary, and set Lillard up for what would be an impressive career in the horror comedy genre.
Crazy Love (1995)
One year later Serial mother hit theaters, Lillard was selected Crazy lovedark romance starring Drew Barrymore and Chris O’Donnell as Casey and Matt, a couple of teenage lovers who embark on the adventure of a lifetime when they decide to embark on a cross-country road trip. Lillard only had a small role in the film as one of O’Donnell’s friends Eric, but the project proved his range as an actor — and his ability to hang with the greats.
“Hackers” (1995)
Continuing to perform alongside the greats – Lillard teamed up with Angelina Jolie for 1995 Hackerswhich follows a group of teenagers who uncover a criminal conspiracy with plans to use a computer virus to capsize five oil tankers. The film introduced a new uplifted tone for Lillard, who – while still sporting his trademark long locks – portrayed Emmanuel “Cereal Killer” Goldstein in this cyberpunk flick that was ahead of its time.
“Scream” (1996)
There might be six (almost seven) movies in the screams franchise — and an endless amount of unmasked Ghostfaces — but none can beat Billy’s original duo (Skeet Ulrich) and Lillard’s Stew. Lillard’s impossible insanity made him a fantastic villain, but his ability to mask his murderous streak as a lovable best friend allowed him to craft a top-notch cover before the truth was revealed.
Scream is undoubtedly where Lillard burst into mainstream stardom. Some of the best moments in the final act were actually improvised by Lillard — “You hit me with the phone, f*ck!” — and his brutal death by electrocution remains one of the best in the franchise. So good, in fact, that fans are still clamoring to see Stu return to seek revenge on Final Girl Sidney (Neave Campbell) all these years later. I mean, anyone can survive a TV falling on their head, right? … Right?
“SLC Punk! (1998)
Every teenage outsider in the 90s found solace in 1998 SLC Punk!unusual comedy about the duo Heroine Bob (Michael A. Gorjian) and Stevo (Lillard), who walk the streets of America’s “most conservative city,” Salt Lake City, as the only two dedicated punks around. The film itself is an underrated timeless classic, with a stunningly impressive supporting cast – Devon Sava, Jason Segel and Christopher McDonaldto name a few—and a story about finding your own way in a world that forces you to conform.
Lillard, as always, his cheerful, burst and lights on screen steal the show at every turn – and not just because of that stellar, bright blue hair.
“She’s All That” (1999)
Some might argue that Lillard’s Brock Hudson, a vain, self-absorbed reality star coming out of his MTV stint The real world who started dating Taylor Vaughn’s High School Queen Bee (Jody Lynn O’Keefe) — was supposed to be the villain in this beloved 1999 romantic comedy. And, OK, while the character being 20 years old and dating a teenage girl is definitely a factor, Lillard still made Brock undeniably memorable with his iconic line, epic wardrobe, and wildly impressive dance skills.
Decades later, people still talk about how great the love story was Freddie Prinze Jr and Rachel Lee Cook Zach and Lainey had — but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who didn’t follow that up with “But Matthew Lillard’s Brock was the real star of the show.”
Summer Catch (2001)
Lillard once again appears as the perfect comic relief for this underrated romantic comedy starring Prince Jr. and Jessica Biel. Lillard plays baseball catcher Billy Brubaker in the film, a teammate of Prince Jr.’s Ryan Dunn. Both are on their way to the big leagues, hoping a summer league turn will get them noticed.
The film is a staple of the early 2000s—lots of familiar faces, sexiness, and jokes that haven’t all aged so well—but Lillard still manages to make the character worthwhile.
Ghosts of Thir13en (2001)
Lillard returned to his horror roots for this early 2000 gem, replacing humor with scares and gore. While Lillard technically supported the cast in this truly horrifying film, his role as ghost hunter Dennis led the way for the story to unfold, and Lillard proved that he can play the victim just as well as the villain, any day. (Warning: Do not watch this movie unless you are prepared for endless nightmares.)
Scooby-Doo (2002)
While some know Lillard as Stu or Stevo, others know him best as Norville “Shaggy” Rogers from the 2002 live-action Scooby-Doo. The actor plays opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini and former colleague Prince Jr. to make up the iconic four main – plus one very funny canine – detectives.
Some actors might struggle to bring such a well-known and beloved comic book character to life, but Lillard flawlessly captures Shaggy’s nervous, goofy personality with his vocal performance, body language, mannerisms and ability to work a CGI doggo. He was so good that he actually reprized his role for the 2004 sequel. and became the official voice of Shaggy in all subsequent cartoons and television shows from 2010 to 2020. Zoinks!
