Students, faculty and community members filled the seats of Hall Auditorium on April 7. Some fans dressed in “Scooby Doo” gear and brought along “Scream” merchandise, celebrating actor Matthew Lillard’s long-standing career.
Lillard, star of “Scream,” “Scooby Doo” and “Five Nights at Freddys” gave a lecture at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Moderated by Geoffrey Long, the actor discussed his career, entrepreneurship and the importance of conventions in his life.
He began the lecture by informing the audience that his wife had asked him not to cuss. Long then asked Lillard for his secret origin story. Instead, Lillard thanked the crowd.
“I love being invited here,” Lillard said. “It’s really humbling to be at a point in my life where anyone cares about my journey, and being invited to share it tonight … I’m super honored. So thank you all for having me and for showing up.”
Students filled the seats in Hall Auditorium to see Lillard's lecture
He talked about his experience being from the Midwest and how he eventually fell in love with theater. As a child who was never very skilled at school, he said finding out he could be rewarded for being funny changed his life.
He also discussed his early roles, including working as an extra on a film where he tried to work his way to earning his Screen Actors Guild (SAG) card.
“I would say seven consecutive words on every single rehearsal,” Lillard said. “I’d walk by the camera and be [like] ‘let’s go do homework, guys, please.’ And everyone thought that was hilarious and funny, and the cast thought I was hilarious and funny.”
He then let the production know that he would not be available for reshoots for the film unless they made it worth his while, which eventually earned him his SAG card.
But Lillard’s breakout wasn’t as an extra. It was the hit horror movie “Scream.” Lillard was questioned on whether he thinks “Scream” still holds up in its relation to the genre and as a satire.
“It’s not really up to me to judge if the movie holds up,” Lillard said. “My job is to never care how the movie does well. But [“Scream”] certainly changed the genre. The fact that it is still relevant and I just completed “Scream 7” speaks to its longevity.”
But despite the success of “Scream,” Lillard was candid about the ups and downs of being an actor. He said that after the failure of “Scooby Doo 2,” he was in a career drought, and that his family was living beyond their means. He said that as an actor, he wanted to film good works, but as a father, he was worried about putting food on the table.
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Those highs and lows allowed Lillard to branch out into other areas, such as his premium Dungeons and Dragons accessories business and his liquor company, in which “every bottle tells as a story.”
“I think that people want to let that [fandom] flag fly,” Lillard said. “They want to identify and see other people in their community. [...] I definitely think that these sorts of specific, niche entertainment products are built for our community. Screw the rest of them.”
Lillard talked about a variety of topics during his lecture, including how he first got involved in acting and what the future looks like for him.
He ended the lecture portion with his latest horror movie hit: Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF).
“[FNAF] should have been weird, but I really loved it,” Lillard said. “I love serving the [FNAF] community, so I didn’t just check out of it. We just wrapped the second movie and it’s going to be a lot better than the first.”
Reactions to the lecture were extremely positive, with fans from all over Lillard’s filmography.
Emily Smith, a sophomore special education major, said she attended the lecture because of her family's love of the “Scooby Doo” franchise. She was wearing a full scooby doo themed-onesie.
“I love Matthew Lillard. I came because I’m such a huge fan,” Smith said. “My favorite part was when he did his Shaggy voice [in the introduction].”
Tori Fe, first-year zoology major, also knew of Lillard from Scooby Doo. She didn’t know that much about Matthew Lillard personally, but she loved his style of speaking.
“He [kept] going on tangents, but that part was so fun, just to listen to and see how his mind was working while he's talking to all of us,” Fe said. “It was awesome.”
One of those tangents came during the Q&A portion of the lecture, where a student asked how he “keeps his spark alive” in today’s climate.
Lillard’s response garnered massive applause from the audience.
“I will hug every single kid that comes through,” Lillard said. “Every single one. Man, woman, child, somebody struggling with addiction, gay kid in the middle of Ohio or Alabama or Michigan. My whole thing is that I think that you can save a life in less than 30 seconds if you value the transaction.”
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By Stella Powers and Parker Green | YesterdayMatthew Lillard, known for his iconic roles in “Scream,” “Scooby Doo” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” has stepped beyond acting and into Dungeons and Dragons, entrepreneurship and more. On April 7, Lillard visited Miami University as part of the school’s lecture series.Prior to his 7:30 p.m. lecture in Hall Auditorium, The Miami Student sat down with Lillard in an exclusive interview to discuss his expansive career.