Matthew Lillard’s career looked destined to take off following the success of the live-action ‘Scooby-Doo’ where he starred as the iconic, lovable Shaggy. The movie grossed over $275 million globally, marking a significant financial triumph.
Additionally, it set high expectations for Lillard’s career trajectory. The actor signed on for a sequel, ‘Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed’, which came with the biggest paycheck of his career. So, he hoped for a sure path to the top. However, that wasn’t the case.
Matthew Lillard Reflects On His Hollywood Presence After ‘Scooby-Doo’ Setback
Matthew Lillard recently revealed in an interview with Business Insider, that he believed that ‘Scooby-Doo 2’ would cement his position as a leading man in Hollywood for years to come. “I thought I’d be No. 1 on the call sheet for the next 10 years of movies,” he shared.
Related: Why Freddie Prinze Jr. Has “Serious Regrets” About ‘Scooby-Doo’ Movies?
Unfortunately, things didn’t unfold as expected. ‘Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed’ failed to impress critics and, despite decent box office earnings, couldn’t replicate the success of its predecessor, grossing under $200 million. The disappointing response dealt a blow to Lillard’s career.
“The reality was the exact opposite happened,” he admitted. He talked about how the anticipated success of the franchise instead brought his career to a halt. Moreover, this setback forced him to rethink his goals and confront the possibility of fading into obscurity.
Matthew Lillard Considered Going On ‘Dancing With The Stars’ For Relevance
In the aftermath of ‘Scooby-Doo 2,’ Matthew Lillard had to re-evaluate what he wanted from his career and what he was willing to sacrifice. “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,” he reflected.
In case you missed it: ‘Scooby-Doo’: Is Velma’s Character LGBTQ? What’s Her Ethnicity?
For a brief moment, Lillard even considered taking on a role on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ to boost his visibility. However, he realized that while fame was enticing, he ultimately aspired to be more than a celebrity, he wanted to be a respected actor. “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,” he stated.
Moreover, the shift in Lillard’s perspective proved to be pivotal. He continued to voice Shaggy in various animated ‘Scooby-Doo’ projects. Additionally, he landed supporting roles in prestigious projects like the Oscar-winning ‘The Descendants’ and Clint Eastwood’s ‘Trouble With the Curve.’
Looking back, Lillard sees his career’s ups and downs as part of a larger journey toward becoming a more grounded actor. “I’ve gone through good patches and bad patches. I’ve been irrelevant and thought I was never going to work again,” he admitted.
