Much like everything else in life, when it comes to Hollywood careers there isnt any predictability.
Cherished actor Matthew Lillard revealed in a recent interview that when Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed hit theaters in 2004 he was certain that hed be Hollywoods next superstar. “I thought I’d be No. 1 on the call sheet for the next 10 years of movies,” the Scream star told Business Insider on Thursday.
And the reality was the exact opposite happened, Matthew added.
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Matthew portrayed the fan-favorite Scooby-Doo character Shaggy in the franchise. Actors Freddie Prinze Jr. portrayed Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar was Daphne, Linda Cardellini took on the role of Velma, and Neil Fanning voiced Scooby. The first Scooby-Doo film was a box office hit, leading to a third movie being planned, which meant a sequel was set.
However, Scooby-Doo 2 wasnt a critical or commercial success albeit it did become a cult classic 20 years later. Due to the Scooby-Doo sequel flopping, the third installment was canceled. This was an eye-opener for Matthew, who was having a good run in the industry until thenbeing in successful movies such as Scream and Shes All That.
“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,” Matthew divulged to the news outlet. Matthew admitted that after Scooby-Doo 2, Matthews movie offers declined, leaving the actor to take years to evaluate his life and career.
“I was going to do Dancing with the Stars. And I was like, if I do Dancing with the Stars, I’ll never win an Academy Award,” he noted. “If I do Dancing with the Stars, I’ll be famous and not a great actor, and I really just wanted to be a great actor.”
Taking control of his life and career, Matthew axed his entire team, got back with his original agent, and just recalibrated what he expected in Hollywood.
“I said, ‘I just want to be an actor. I just want to be in movies. I want to reset my expectations, he said in the interview.
Matthew got well-deserved praise for his lead role in the horror film Five Nights At Freddys last year, which happens to also be a box office success. In 2025, the quirky entertainer will appear in horror director Mike Flanagans The Life of Chuck.