Making his feature film debut in the ill-fated horror-comedy sequel Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College, it didn’t take long for up-and-coming actor Matthew Lillard to gain traction in the world of acting. Quickly joining the cast of classic 90s movies like Hackers and Scream, Lillard has since established himself as one of the most charismatic and versatile actors working in Hollywood today.
Matthew Lillard is perhaps most famous for his role as Shaggy Rogers in 2002’s live-action Scooby-Doo movie, going on to reprise the role in countless other live-action and animated projects. Besides Scooby-Doo though, Lillard has boasted an extensive career packed with movies, TV shows, and even video games.
Scream (1996) – 7.2
Arguably the role that shot the actor into stardom, 1996’s Scream featured a young Matthew Lillard as hyperactive teenager Stuart ‘Stu’ Macher, a friend of protagonist Sidney Prescott who was eventually revealed to be one of the two murderers terrorizing Woodsboro as Ghostface.
Lillard’s performance is often regarded as the best in the movie, bringing an instability to the role that’s both hilarious and also kind of terrifying. His comedic timing and commitment to the character’s profound insanity provide the movie’s biggest laughs.
The Descendants (2011) – 7.3
With the film being nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar, The Descendants is considered by many critics to be one of the best films of 2011. The Descendants tells the story of George Clooney’s Matt King, a lawyer who learns his wife is having an affair after a boating accident with her lover leaves her comatose.
Matthew Lillard plays Brain Speer in the movie, the real estate agent whose fling with Matt’s wife throws the entire family into disarray.
Halfway There (2018) – 8.0
Though not as many people may have seen this film compared to some of his others, Halfway There has an impressive score of 8.0 on the website.
The movie sees Lillard play Jimmy Bishop, the owner of a rehabilitation center, who’s shocked to see his alcoholic mother arrive at the facility. Also starring the likes of Blythe Danner and Matt O’Leary, Halfway There has a halfway decent cast for such an underseen movie.
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010-2013) – 8.0
With Matthew Lillard returning to his long-held role as Shaggy Rogers, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated is one of the most well-received incarnations of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon, running from 2010-2013. Serving as a reboot of the series, the show sees the gang investigate a series of supernatural mysteries in the town of Crystal Cove.
Sporting a slightly darker tone than usual, the series also introduces a compelling overarching story for each member of Mystery Incorporated, all of which adds up to one of the best Scooby-Doo series to date.
The Good Wife (2014-2016) – 8.3
Running from 2009-2016, The Good Wife follows junior litigator Alicia Florrick, whose world is turned upside when her politician husband gets wrapped up in a high-profile sex scandal. Running for seven seasons, the show is one of the best series of the 2010s, winning multiple Primetime Emmys, primarily for Julianna Margulies’ central performance.
Lillard is featured in two episodes of the series, “Goliath and David” and “Tracks,” where he plays Rowby Clanton – a musician whose band becomes a client of Alicia’s following an alleged case of copyright infringement.
Halt and Catch Fire (2014-2017) – 8.4
Focusing heavily on the rise of computer technology in the 1980s, Halt and Catch Fire sees its three lead characters – played by Lee Pace, Scoot McNairy, and Mackenzie Davis – form the company Cardiff Electric, a company hoping to surpass the likes of IBM in popularity and technological advancement.
Matthew Lillard appears in four episodes of the show’s third season, where he plays Ken Diebold, an arrogant, mustachioed businessman who plans on investing in Cardiff Electric.
Bosch (2014-) – 8.4
An acclaimed police procedural developed by Amazon Studios, Bosch tells the story of L.A.P.D. detective Harry Bosch, who’s under suspicion of murdering a notorious mass murderer while he attempts to solve the murder of a young child.
Appearing in eight episodes of the show, Lillard plays FBI agent Luke ‘Lucky’ Rykov, who runs afoul of Bosch when his status as an undercover agent puts him under heavy suspicion for the murder of Anthony Aliso.
Supernatural (2005-2020) – 8.4
In one of the most bizarre – yet weirdly fitting – crossovers in television history, Lillard reprises his role as Shaggy Rogers in the thirteenth-season episode of Supernatural, “Scoobynatural,” which sees Sam, Dean and Castiel trapped in the colorful cartoon world of Scooby-Doo.
The trio soon becomes embroiled in a mystery involving a killer ghost and is forced to help Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Velma, and Daphne solve the case. While Supernatural has an impressive 8.4 on IMDb as a complete series, “Scoobynatural” holds a staggering 9.6, making it one of the most celebrated episodes of the entire series.
Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) – 8.5
When Twin Peaks returned for its long-overdue third season in 2017, fans were eager to see how Matthew Lillard’s character slotted into the world of the beloved series. As it turns out, Lillard’s role is amongst the most pivotal in the entire season, despite not being a main character.
The actor plays the unfortunate paranormal enthusiast Bill Hastings, who’s framed for the murder of his mistress after accidentally stumbling into the mythical, malevolent Black Lodge, only to meet a gruesome fate himself when he attempts to assist the FBI’s investigation into the realm.
House (2004-2012) – 8.7
Amongst the most iconic TV shows of the 2000s, House chronicles the career of the brilliant but cantankerous Dr. Gregory House, whose uncanny ability to diagnose the most bizarre ailments sees him clash with his friends and colleagues.
Matthew Lillard appears in the episode “Larger Than Life” as Jack, a musician and absentee father, who rescues a woman trapped on a set of subway tracks, only to be gripped by a mysterious illness afterward.