Matthew Lillard ThoughtScooby-Doo 2Would Make Him a Star, But 'the Exact Opposite Happened'

Mar. 15, 2025

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Sometimes Hollywood careers take unexpected turns.

“I was caught up in the success of what I was doing, I was caught up in the parts I was getting, I was caught up in this drive to be quote-unquote famous,” he explained toBusiness Insider.

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He got rid of his whole team and returned to his original agent, he toldBusiness Insider. “I said, ‘I just want to be an actor. I just want to be in movies. I want to reset my expectations.’ "

Lillard received acclaim last year with a starring role in the horror filmFive Nights At Freddy’s, which becamea box office success. Next year, he’ll appear in horror directorMike Flanagan’s TheLife of Chuck. He also launched his own spirits company this year, Find Familiar Spirits.

Matthew Lillard in 2024.VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty

VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty

“One of the great moments in my life is understanding that I have power outside of just being an actor,” Lillard toldBusiness Insider. “That, to me, has been way more satisfying than getting a part in a movie … I’ve been at all aspects of the career, and I love where I’m at right this second.”

“In a life of uncertainty as an actor — you’re trying to raise your kids and you have good moments and bad moments — there’s something really profound about playing a character that is bigger than you,” he explained of his role as Shaggy.

“The reality is that I’m a caretaker for a part that will be somebody else’s someday, but there’s no doubt that — not to sound too hokey — as long as I have it, I’ll respect it and think it’s really awesome. And the little moments like that where you can help kids and you can effect change, it’s really pretty amazing.”

source: people.com