Matthew Lillard

Matthew Lillard is an American actor, director, and producer born on January 24, 1970, in Lansing, Michigan. He grew up in Tustin, California, where he attended Foothill High School in North Tustin. His formal training took him to Fullerton College, then to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, California — where he studied alongside actor Paul Rudd — and subsequently to Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York City. His Broadway appearances span 2004 to 2006, with credits including The 24 Hour Plays 2004.

After high school, Lillard co-hosted a short-lived television program called SK8-TV before appearing as an extra in Ghoulies 3: Ghoulies Go to College in 1991. His film career began in earnest with a role in John Waters's black comedy Serial Mom in 1994, followed the next year by parts in five films, among them Hackers, a thriller centered on high school students dismantling a corporate extortion scheme. His breakthrough came in 1996 with his portrayal of Stu Macher in the slasher film Scream. Additional film roles from that period include Stevo in SLC Punk! and Dennis Rafkin in Thirteen Ghosts. He also appeared in She's All That and Without a Paddle.

Lillard was cast as Norville "Shaggy" Rogers in the 2002 live-action film Scooby-Doo and reprised the role in the 2004 sequel Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. When Casey Kasem retired from voicing the character in 2009 — having originated the role when the show debuted in 1969 — Lillard took over, providing Shaggy's voice for the animated series Mystery Incorporated, Be Cool Scooby-Doo!, and Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, as well as every animated direct-to-video release beginning with Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo in 2010. Lillard did not voice the character in the animated reboot Scoob!, in which Will Forte assumed the role instead.

Beginning in the 2010s, Lillard took on a greater number of dramatic parts. In 2011, he produced and directed his first feature film, Fat Kid Rules the World, adapted from the K. L. Going novel of the same name, and appeared in the comedy-drama The Descendants. He guest-starred on the Fox series House that same year. In 2012, he appeared in a Criminal Minds episode, and in 2013 he played Daniel Frye on the American television series The Bridge. He landed a recurring role as FBI undercover agent Luke Goshen in the Amazon series Bosch in 2016, and in 2017 he starred as William Hastings in the third season of Twin Peaks. Beginning in 2018, he co-starred as Dean Boland on the NBC series Good Girls, a role he held through 2021.

Lillard gained renewed mainstream recognition with his portrayal of William Afton, the overarching villain of the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise, in the 2023 film adaptation. The Hollywood Reporter described his return as entering a "Renaissance era" in popular culture, noting that the film achieved the third-highest domestic opening weekend box office return in horror film history. He reprised the role in the film's 2025 sequel. Also in 2025, he appeared in a supporting capacity in the fantasy drama The Life of Chuck, directed by Mike Flanagan, having first appeared in that project in 2024. In January 2025, it was announced that Lillard would return to the Scream franchise for its seventh installment, revisiting the character of Stuart "Stu" Macher from the original film.

Outside of performance, Lillard co-founded Beadle and Grimm's, a company that publishes licensed expanded products for Wizards of the Coast games including Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. He also co-founded Find Familiar Spirits, a company that develops and sells specialized alcoholic beverages. In October 2005, he participated in a Dungeons & Dragons tournament against members of the Quest Club Gaming Organization at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. He has also played the game on the online series Dice, Camera, Action with Christopher Perkins as Dungeon Master, and in a special one-shot with the Critical Role cast, with Sam Riegel serving as Dungeon Master. Lillard married Heather Helm on August 26, 2000; they have three children and reside in Los Angeles.