Why Matthew Lillard Credits Nostalgia for His Hollywood Comeback

Matthew Lillard is opening up about what's fueling his career resurgence.

More than two decades after starring as Shaggy Rogers in the "Scooby-Doo" films and Stu Macher in the original "Scream," the actor, 56, admitted that nostalgia is playing a major factor in his current popularity.

"‘Scooby-Doo' one and two are more popular now than they ever were when they came out," he shared during a recent appearance on the Phase Hero podcast. "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."

"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 continued.

Lillard starred in "Scream 7," "The Life of Chuck" and "Five Nights at Freddy's" franchise and "Daredevil: Born Again" in recent years.

"I think that's why I'm working. I don't think anyone really likes me. They just miss the old times," he teased. “Who should we get? Who’s old and relatively warm and fuzzy feeling? Let’s get Matthew Lillard. Talented? No. But do we like him? Yes.”

Lillard previously admitted that he is "loving every [expletive] second" of his career comeback in a 2025 interview with The Detroit News.

"It will most certainly wane, but while it's here, I'm stepping on every set with 35 years of wisdom packed into my aging body," he shared at the time.

"As a kid, I just wanted to be number one on the call sheet every time. I wanted to be Freddie Prinze Jr., I wanted to be Matt Damon, I wanted to be Ben Affleck," he added. "It just never came my way, and that sort of leaves you with, like, a sadness. I used to have all kinds of jealousy."

"And the reality is, at this point, I'm just happy to have the job and I love the work, and I think I'm better suited at this stage in my life than I was as a kid to do good work. It's been fun," he concluded.

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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 12:24 PM.