Los Angeles [US], April 27 : Actor and director Matthew Lillard has said that nostalgia is playing a major role in his renewed success in Hollywood, joking that audiences may not necessarily "like" him but are instead missing the "old times," according to Variety.
Speaking on the Phase Hero podcast, Lillard reflected on the continued popularity of Scooby-Doo and its cultural impact.
"Scooby-Doo one and two are more popular now than they ever were when they came out. 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," he said.
He added that this trend may also explain his recent career resurgence.
"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," Lillard said, as per the outlet.
In a lighter remark, the actor joked about his perception in the industry.
"I think that's why I'm working. I don't think anyone really likes me. They just miss the old times," he said with a laugh.
Lillard also recalled in a 2024 interview that after reprising the role of Shaggy in 'Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed', he thought he'd be "No. 1 on the call sheet for the next 10 years of movies." But unfortunately, after the film bombed at the box office, "the exact opposite happened." Lillard said at the time, the experience forced him to reprioritize his goals as an actor, according to Variety.
"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," Lillard admitted. He later added, "I've gone through good patches and bad patches. I've been irrelevant and thought I was never going to work again," according to Variety.
Lillard's career saw a major revival in 2023 when he returned in Five Nights at Freddy's as William Afton. Since then, he has featured in The Life of Chuck, Five Nights at Freddy's 2, Scream 7, and Daredevil: Born Again.
He is also set to appear in Mike Flanagan's upcoming Carrie TV series and the upcoming film Behemoth! alongside Pedro Pascal, Will Arnett and Olivia Wilde, according to Variety.