Washington DC [US], February 24 : Actor Matthew Lillard opened up about the emotional toll of Quentin Tarantino's viral criticism, describing it as feeling "like I had died" and likening it to being "punched in the mouth," ccording to The Hollywood Reporter.
The 'Scream 7' actor said the director's comments ultimately helped him realize how much support he has from fans and colleagues across the industry.
Tarantino had listed Lillard among actors he claimed not to care for during a December episode of The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, alongside Paul Dano and Owen Wilson. Lillard told People that experiencing the backlash felt surreal, "It felt like I had died and was in heaven watching everyone send out their RIP tweets. I mean, it was really being a part of your own wake, sort of sitting there living through all the nice things people say after you die."
"Everyone, from the people at the mall this weekend with my kids to George Clooney and James Gunn and Mike Flanagan, I mean, people have sort of been really generous with telling me how much they loved me and liked my work," Lillard continued, as per the outlet.
He noted that the response from friends and industry peers was overwhelmingly positive. James Gunn called Lillard "one of my favorite guys (and actors)," while George Clooney said he would be honored to work with any of the actors Tarantino criticized. Director Mike Flanagan, who has cast Lillard in multiple films, called him "the goddamn greatest."
Lillard added that Tarantino's comments especially hurt because he would "love" to be in one of his films. "I think he's a lovely filmmaker, and to just sort of get punched in the mouth just was kind of a bummer," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Lillard initially responded to the comments at GalaxyCon Columbus, saying, "Eh, whatever. Who gives a shit. The point is that it hurts your feelings. It fucking sucks. And you wouldn't say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldn't say that to somebody who's a top-line actor in Hollywood."