Matthew Lillard

Matthew Lyn Lillard is an American actor, director, and producer. He established himself as a prominent screen figure through his breakout performance as Stu Macher in the 1996 horror film Scream. He is also widely recognized for playing Norville "Shaggy" Rogers across both live-action and animated media, alongside a diverse career in comedic, dramatic, and horror projects in film and television.

Born on January 24, 1970, in Lansing, Michigan, Lillard was raised in Tustin, California, by his parents, Paula and Jeffrey Lillard. He grew up with a younger sister and attended Foothill High School. He pursued dramatic arts education at Fullerton College, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena alongside actor Paul Rudd, and the Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York City.

Lillard began his entertainment career co-hosting the TV series SK8-TV and working as an extra in Ghoulies 3: Ghoulies Go to College. He gained film roles in John Waters' dark comedy Serial Mom in 1994 and the thriller Hackers in 1995 before securing his breakout role in Scream. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, he starred in feature films including SLC Punk!, She's All That, Spanish Judges, Thirteen Ghosts, and Without a Paddle.

In 2002, Lillard played Shaggy Rogers in the live-action movie Scooby-Doo, reprising the role in the 2004 sequel Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. Following Casey Kasem's retirement in 2009, Lillard became the official animated voice of the character, voicing him in television series like Mystery Incorporated, Be Cool Scooby-Doo!, and Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, as well as numerous direct-to-video films starting with Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo.

Transitioning toward more dramatic work during the 2010s, Lillard appeared in feature films such as The Descendants, Trouble with the Curve, and Match. His television career expanded with major or recurring roles in series like The Bridge, Bosch, Twin Peaks: The Return, and Good Girls, alongside guest roles on House and Criminal Minds. He also directed the short film Come Home Soon in 2009 and his debut feature film, Fat Kid Rules the World, in 2011.

Lillard achieved renewed mainstream recognition for playing antagonist William Afton in the 2023 horror film Five Nights at Freddy's. Following this success, he joined its 2025 sequel and secured roles in the film The Life of Chuck, the series Daredevil: Born Again, and an announced return to the Scream franchise for its seventh film.

Beyond screen acting, Lillard co-founded Beadle and Grimm's, a producer of licensed products for tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering; Find Familiar Spirits, a beverage brand; and Midnite Movie Club, an NFT-based film venture. Married to Heather Helm since August 2000, Lillard lives in Los Angeles with their three children.