Scream and Daredevil: Born Again actor Matthew Lillard believes part of his recent success can be attributed to “a weird nostalgia thing” because fans “just miss the old days.”
The horror icon opened up about his recent trip back into the spotlight during a conversation on The Brandon Davis Show. The hour-long interview saw him dig into his recent role as Mr. Charles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and William Afton in Five Nights at Freddy’s, but he also took some time to examine why the last few years have seen him showing up on movie and TV screens more than ever.
“Scooby-Doo 1 and 2 are more popular now than they ever were when they came out,” Lillard said when recalling his previous work on the two films. “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 old times.”
Lillard famously played one half of the original Ghostface duo in 1996 and, maybe somehow even more famously, showed up as Shaggy in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies. These roles and more established him as a recognizable face in Hollywood in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, but outside of the occasional smaller on-screen gig, the decades that followed mostly saw him sticking to voice work.
That changed with Five Nights at Freddy’s in 2023, as he went on reprise his role in that film’s sequel while picking up parts in The Life of Chuck and Daredevil. He even showed back up as his Stu Macher character to play a prominent role in Scream 7. It’s a return to popularity that Lillard isn’t taking for granted, but it seems he isn’t totally willing to attribute his recent success to his ability as an actor.
“I think that’s one of the reasons I’m having this moment, to be honest,” he said regarding a general desire from audiences to return to a more comforting period in time. “It’s because I was identified in that moment, so people are hiring me again.”
“I think that’s why I’m working,” he said while laughing. “I don’t think anyone really likes me. They just miss the old days.”
“‘Who should we get? Who’s old and relatively warm and fuzzy feeling? Let’s get Matthew Lillard!” he joked. “Talented? No, but do we like him? Yes.”
Fans online have already rallied behind Lillard following his comments on The Brandon Davis Show. Most have left comments on social media outright disagreeing with his assesment, with some sharing their favorite performances, big and small, from throughout his career.
Shutup bitch we love you https://t.co/Y7WGxiWGPa
— Ichigo Niggasake (@SomaKazima2) April 26, 2026
“I want to take Matthew Lillard’s face in my hands, look him directly in the eyes, and say ‘we love you,'” one popular comment from a fan said.
Lillard is currently playing Mr. Charles in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, and the events of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 have many fans expecting to see him show up for a potential third film, too. For more on the Shaggy actor, you can read about how he responded to criticisms from director Quentin Tarantino earlier this year.
Photo by Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
