He wanted to get back into the “Scream” franchise. Of course his character, Stu Macher, could survive a television being dropped on his head (though it’s said that he was electrocuted). Lillard even thought about dropping an actual TV on his head to prove that it was possible. Luckily, he didn’t go through with it, becausea lot of TV figuratively dropped on his head anyway.
The “Scooby-Doo” actor has been cast in several high-profile projects. He’s on “Cross,” the Amazon Prime show starring Aldis Hodge as a homicide detective and forensic psychologist. He will be in the eight-episode “Carrie” miniseries — yes, that Carrie — developed by filmmaker Mike Flanagan for Amazon MGM Studios. He’s dipping his toes in the Marvel cinematic pond with a role in Netflix’s “Daredevil: Born Again.”
On the big screen, he’s prepping for a third “Five Nights at Freddy’s.”
All of this from an actor whom Quentin Tarantino (speaking on “The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast”) “doesn’t care for.” Lillard has answered questions about and commented on Tarantino’s viral comments often in the last few months. An actor for almost four decades, Lillard says he has built up a thick skin, but the comments were hurtful.
He talks about those comments, along with his recent projects, working with friends and his constant desire to say “F— ICE.”
So. Tarantino said some things about your (and Paul Dano’s) acting prowess …
Look, candidly, it was a weird moment. It was a bummer. It was a drag at the beginning. But I’ll say this — I have never felt so seen by this industry. My entire career, I felt like a blue-collar working-class actor trying to be in the best movies and do the best work I possibly can. In that moment, along comes an industry that I’ve served now for 35 years, rising up and saying really lovely things. I said, in the past, it felt like I was living through my own wake. You don’t normally see that outpouring of love until after somebody passes. At the end of the day, it ends up being a really beautiful moment for me.
It’s not like I’m this fragile little thing. I’ve been around a long time. Did it suck? Sure.
This Quentin Tarantino thing … I’m good. I love his films. It also sucked because I was like, “Oh, I would love to get in there and kick ass for him.” But whatever. It is not about the box office wins that week. It’s about a body of work, a community of friends, and longevity that really defines. Which is the goal, and it defines a life well spent.
You mentioned longevity, and a quick IMDb search shows that Shaggy is your world! There’s so much “Scooby–Doo.” Straight-to-video. Live-action. Video games.
Yeah. Isn’t that crazy?
Looking back, how did you approach doing the voice work and being in the movies, and what was your thought process when that first came to you?
My first thought process was, “I’m getting that job.” I’m like, “I will kill that.” The way I got into the voice was that I would have to scream myself hoarse. I’ll never forget coming down and being in the car, an empty Warner Bros. lot, screaming to prepare my voice for the audition, and having Chuck Roven, the producer, walk by and knock on the window and be like, “Dude, are you OK?”
The first movie was so successful that I felt like I was launched. James Gunn and I went in and pitched “Plastic Man” at Warner Bros. I felt like, “Oh, I’m now an option to be No. 1 on a call sheet.” Then “Scooby-Doo 2” came out, didn’t do great, and started a reset of my career that took a couple of years.
I look back now at 56 years old and think, without that, I wouldn’t be in this career. I don’t know if I would have been around long enough to get this comeback that I’m in the middle of and enjoying.
“Scream 7” revisits one of the most successful horror franchises ever. How did you feel about being approached to come back? Can you say much about your role?
Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream.”
(Brownie Harris / Paramount Pictures / Spyglass Media Group)
I’m not going to lie, I was over the moon. At some point, right before I got the offer, probably three or four months before I got the offer, [“Scream” franchise creator] Kevin Williamson put it out in the world that the “Scream” franchise does not need Matthew Lillard. I remember reading that and thinking to myself, “Why don’t you just leave me alone? I’m planning on getting back in.”
[Film producers] Radio Silence had set up in [the fifth and sixth films] the potential or the whisperings that Stu was still alive. So I was like, “We’re trending in the right direction here. Why is Kevin Williamson kicking me in the teeth?” And the funny thing is, he called me in the middle of the afternoon and he’s like, “Are you interested in coming back?” I was super excited. And … there’s not a lot I can say about the movie, for obvious reasons. But I think that people are going to be really excited.
You’re continuing in the horror field with “Carrie.” No release date yet, but what can you say about it?
I had a small scene [in “Life of Chuck”], but the scene’s great and the movie’s beautiful. I saw Kevin Williamson at [“Life of Chuck” and “Carrie” producer] Mike Flanagan’s house because we were playing a game of “Mafia.” I was doing “Five Nights at Freddy’s” and I was sitting talking to Mike and he was talking about doing “Carrie” and everything he’s got coming up. After he and I did “Life of Chuck,” he’s like, “Well, congratulations. You’re now in the Flanafam.” He works a lot with the same actors.
I finally got up the courage to say, “Hey, listen, what is that? I mean, if I’m in the Flanafam, what does that mean? How does that work? Am I supposed to tell you my schedule?” He’s like, “Oh, no, no, no. I have a part for you in ‘Carrie.’ I want you to come and do ‘Carrie’ if you’re interested.”
Everyone knows the story. Carrie, pig blood, all that. But that De Palma version only uses certain specific aspects of the book. The thing I’m excited about is that Mike Flanagan pulls in elements of the book that are not necessarily in the first film, and then adds headlines ripped from today’s day and age in terms of bullying and things we’re seeing in social media and all of that. So he’s giving it a new lens to look at what bullying looks like for kids today. I saw the first three episodes — the entire cast gathered at a screening room — and it blew me away.
Summer Howell plays Carrie, and she’s incredible, and Sam Sloyan plays her mother. There’s three basic parties. There’s the kids, there’s the parents, and then there’s the faculty. I play the principal at the school, watching the entire thing fall apart around them.
You’re also dipping your toes in the world of Marvel with “Daredevil: Born Again.”
I can talk about “Daredevil” a little. I played Dungeon & Dragons with three incredible showrunners. Dario Scardapane, who runs “Daredevil,” Matt Nix, who’s doing the new “Baywatch,” and then Elwood Reid, who does “Tracker.” I’m their dungeon master. We play with Abraham Benrubi, this beautiful actor (“ER,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), a dear friend of mine. … Dario brought me in to play Mr. Charles [on “Daredevil: Born Again”], who’s like a CIA spook. He’s a guy that controls power from afar. He helps nations rise and fall, but he’s very clandestine. He is not impressed by the powers of [Vincent] D’Onofrio’s character [Kingpin] at all. He and I get into this really delicious struggle over power. It’s good. It’s fun.
Matthew Lillard taps “Scream” vibes with Ghost Face Vodka, whose release will coincide with the seventh installment of the film franchise.
(Andreas Branch)
You’ve combined storytellingwith alcohol for your lines of whiskey, vodkas and the like. How did you decide to mix the two?
I started a Dungeons & Dragons company six years ago now called Beadle & Grimm’s. Somebody approached me about building a spirits company around Dungeons & Dragons.For me, what I heard in that was like, “Hey, build a luxury item for niche communities that people don’t always respect and know and understand.” My experience with Beadle & Grimm’s was very clear. They will come out and support it.
So we created Quest’s End Whiskey. Quest’s End is a 16-bottle drop over four years. Each bottle is a different character class, but each bottle delivers a new chapter of an ongoing saga. We sold out in the first two weeks. In a week, we had 25,000 people on the waiting list to purchase that first bottle.
I know the impact that “Scream” [has] had on the horror community. I realized that if we could license the [intellectual property] of [film villain] Ghostface that we could make something super badass that fans would go crazy for. It took us a while to secure those rights. But once we did, we built Ghost Face Vodka.Our hope was to sell 2,000 units of a collector’s edition. We had 40,000 people sign up for early access in the first 72 hours.
Ghost Face Vodka has a game on the back, a QR code. When you sit down, all your people can hit that QR code with their smartphones and load an automated game of “Mafia.” It’s a communal game. It’s like two or three of you are Mafia members, and you have to figure out who that is. And it’s super fun. Again, trying to build community. Our hope is that, launching around “Scream 7,” it’s going to catch the zeitgeist and blow up.
Lastly, we have “Cross,” your most current TV project.
Matthew Lillard in “Cross.”
(Ian Watson / Amazon MGM Studios Prime Video)
I’m in love with that creative team and Aldis Hodge and everything he represents. I don’t think people understand that that show did 40 million views in the first 20 days for Amazon. It is unapologetically a Black show that … it feels like it’s being ripped from the headlines. I think Aldis Hodge and the creative team do an incredible job representing a man who is a Black man as a detective in this world. The relationships, the friendships, the bonds he has with his community — just being around that creative team has been really inspiring, and [show creator] Ben Watkins is an incredible storyteller.
I think the thing about “Cross” is that it really challenges you, especially given what we’re living through in this moment. I have to say it — politically speaking, we’re in a s— storm. I went viral a month ago about saying, ‘F— ICE.’ But … f— ICE.
Could you describe your character?
Another dubious character. He’s a billionaire named Lance Durand, and he’s out to solve world hunger. Sometimes, a billionaire has very questionable scruples as to the best ways to go about things. Solve world hunger, kill all the people. That’s how you do it.
The whole series opens up with a bunch of middle-aged white men on an island doing horrible things to girls. So when I say “ripped from the freaking headlines” … It’s, like, crazy.
Former Manchester United and England footballer Gary Neville has returned to BBC One’s Dragons’ Den as a guest investor, judging entrepeneurs to see if he wants to back their business
Gary Neville’s co-star has revealed what he is like on Dragons’ Den(Image: BBC)
While Gary is best known for his talent as a Manchester United and England defender, he built up an extensive property portfolio during his career. The BBC says he spearheads the £450m St. Michael’s development in Manchester after securing over £200m of overseas investment.
He said: “This gentleman here is the biggest softie when it comes to investment. Thank god he has only been a guest, if he was there full time he’d need a printing machine, he’d invest in everything.”
Touker went on to joke that Gary likes to share a bit of “Mancunian help” with the guests as they make their pitches. Gary replied: “Honestly, people come in and if I like them, I think, ‘Oh they deserve a little bit of Mancunion love’ and just give them a little bit of investment.
“I have to say, when they walk through the door, how nervous they must be, but when I’m looking at them I’m thinking, ‘I’m glad I’m not stood where you are’.”
Gary went on to explain that Touker “drills” the contestants over their finances almost straight away before fellow dragons Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones join in. He added: “You have to be quite resilient when you come through the doors.”
The Manchester-born footballer explained he has “sympathy” for the contestants after they exit the famous Dragons’ Den lift. He admits he even gets “a little bit nervous” when he is confronted by the dragons.
He added: “Them coming through facing you, Deborah, Peter, Steven [Bartlett], they must be terrified.”
Touker however explained he likes to be cautious when investing on the show. He said: “If you’re investing your hard-earned cash, you can’t just give it away, and some people like to pull the wool over your eyes.”
He went on to explain that the “most important thing” he looks for when investing on the show is a business that he can help improve. Gary will be returning to Dragons’ Den from 8pm tonight on BBC One.
This week’s pitches will include a business offering skincare made from rescued food, a device that keeps your golf balls spotless, an app that can help with your mortgage and spicy seasoning balls.
This series will see a host of guest dragons joining the panel of investors. As well as Gary, rapper Tinie Tempah, serial entrepreneur and REFY CEO Jenna Meek, and Tropic Skincare powerhouse Susie Ma will be judging investments.
Tinie said: “I have a keen interest in supporting emerging entrepreneurs as well as investing in a wide-ranging portfolio of businesses, so Dragons’ Den was an opportunity I simply couldn’t turn down.
“I am ecstatic to become a guest dragon and look forward to seeing where I can help, bring value and of course invest in some of these brilliant businesses and people that step into the Den.”
Samantha Davies, Executive Producer, BBC Studios Entertainment said of the guest dragons: “Audiences love the powerful combination of our much-loved regular dragons and the fresh energy guest dragons bring to the Den – and this series, we’re going bigger than ever.
“We’re thrilled to welcome back Gary, alongside three formidable new business titans, all ready to uncover the next generation of bold, brilliant and disruptive entrepreneurs. There’s no better place to ignite that ambition than right here in the Den!”
Ospreys were boosted by Wales releasing Morgan-Williams and loose-head prop Gareth Thomas, who made his first appearance since suffering a calf injury at the start of December.
The hosts were without six members of Steve Tandy’s squad and the visitors were denied the services of two.
Dragons then suffered a huge blow in just the second minute with the loss of influential South African tight-head Rob Hunt, who was carried off after injuring his left hamstring when cleared out of a ruck.
The Rodney Parade club’s former Wales loose-head Wyn Jones did not last much longer – he went off in the 12th minute with the game still scoreless.
That meant replacements Jordan Morris and Cebo Dlamini were in for long shifts on a draining surface, and the injuries turned out to be critical.
Ferocious defence was the winner in the opening quarter with both sides failing to get off the mark after kicking penalties to the corner.
Dragons eventually made pressure count in the 18th minute when hard carrying by big ball carriers was followed by tenacious fly-half De Beer going through a gap for a try that Angus O’Brien converted.
The visitors failed to extend their lead despite being on top and paid the price on 32 minutes when the alert Morgan-Williams sniped under the posts from a ruck, Jack Walsh levelling from the tee.
In-form wing Rio Dyer, who missed out on the Six Nations squad, was twice denied down the left corner as Dragons tried to respond and it remained level at the break.
O’Brien knocked over a pair of penalties either side of a bout of defence to put the visitors 13-7 up approaching the hour.
Ospreys opted against calling for the tee from penalties, but found Dragons, with strong defence and the big clearing boot of O’Brien, a tough nut to crack as the rain lashed down.
Dragons were reduced to 14 men for the finish when Dlamini was yellow-carded for a high tackle on Harri Houston in the 73rd minute.
Ospreys kicked to the corner and Lloyd went over from the driving line-out only for Walsh to pull the conversion.
Dragons lost another man with four minutes to play due to needing to play with uncontested scrums.
That proved to be crucial as Ospreys hit the front for the first time when it mattered by working Giles clear and his pace from close-range did the rest.
