Matthew Lillard remembers thinking his career was over after Scooby-Doo 2 flopped

It’s not unusual for the first film of a franchise to be followed by something that’s considered not as good as the original. Sometimes the magic is lost, or the writing is weaker than the original, either way, which is why fans are often tired of sequels. Actors like it Matthew Lillard They expect that the continuation of a success will further their career, and when the sequel flops, there is a fear that their career is now over.

The 2002 live-action film Scooby Doo is considered a cult classic by many mystery crew fans. After the success a second film, Monsters unleashed was announced. In an interview with Business insiderMatthew Lillard talked about what Monsters unleashed would do for his career. The Scream star stated:

I thought I would be number 1 on the movie list for the next ten years. And the reality was that the exact opposite happened.

Lillard said he was still very sensitive to the public’s opinions during this time. He was looking for validation in a way that he could be seen as a good and famous actor, so when Monsters unleashed flopped and the offers dried up, Lillard faced some tough choices.

He reminisced about the path his career is taking and could take. When it comes to the offer offered Dancing with the starsLillard spoke about his feelings about it:

I went on to do Dancing With the Stars. And I thought, if I do Dancing With the Stars, I’ll never win an Academy Award. 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. I said (to my agent), ‘I just want to be an actor. I just want to be in movies. I want to reset my expectations.’

He made a complete reset of his life and career, returning to more humble roots as he tried to build a new life for himself. As we know, his career continued, with Lillard playing William Afton in the Five nights with Freddy‘s live-action film of Blumhuis.

His discography is varied, the Scream star moving back and forth between different roles. Looking back on his entire career, Lillard describes it this way:

I’ve been through good and bad places. I was irrelevant and thought I would never work again.

Liliard was not asked to make the animated film Scoob! which he found disappointing. Lillard is currently filming the sequel for the Five nights at Freddy’sreturning as his titular role of William Afton. He described participating in the first film as “a leap of faith,” and the second is likely to be just as big a leap. The release is scheduled for December 2025.

As we get closer Five nights at Freddy’s 2if you’re looking for ways to watch the live action Scooby Doo films and all other animated films, we’ve got you covered.