Matthew Lillard has reflected on why Hollywood never granted him leading man status, recalling living “in the shadow of Paul Rudd” and claiming he “still fights for jobs now”.
The actor, who stars in a new TV adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie, rose to prominence in the original Scream film, released in 1996, and had starring roles in films, including SLC Punk and Scooby-Doo: The Movie. However, he believes he never got to lead a big-budget blockbuster as he “never fit in that little, perfect bubble” producers were looking for.
When asked if he felt he was “valued by Hollywood”, Lillard, 56, told I’ve Never Said This Before podcast: “No, not really.
“I think the people who know me, people I’ve worked with are like, ‘Oh, I get it. I get the value. I get sort of the intangibles. But I think what Hollywood looks for is – they look for a movie star. They look for dashing.”
He continued: “I’ve always been a little quirky, a little gangly, a lot of energy. I’m funny and silly and at the same time can do drama, and they don’t really know where to slot me.”
The actor also recalled his two years living with Ant-Man actor Rudd, who rose to prominence at the same time as Lillard, stating: “I was always in the shadow of Paul Rudd, no matter how famous I got. I’m like, ‘Oh my God, Paul Rudd is 10 times more famous than I am.’ And I have a competitive nature.
“You have to have that competition in you. I mean, you don’t enter into the NBA and want to be the guy on the bench who never plays. So for the longest time, I had a really hard time competing against other people in my own psychosis.”
Rudd’s breakout film role came in 1995 film Clueless, followed by appearances in The Object of My Affection, The Cider House Rules and sitcom Friends. His career kicked into overdrive in the 2000s, thanks to comedy films Anchorman and Knocked Up, and he debuted as superhero Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in 2015.
Growing introspective, Lillard added that, while he stars in “great movies”, nobody ever “equates” him with greatness. “Honestly, I’m not like woe is me, but I think about this. I’m like, why didn’t I ever get a shot to be that guy on top of a $20m movie, or whatever?” he wondered.
“And it wasn’t because I wasn’t popular or didn’t have the chops. It was because they didn’t get me, or didn’t see me as that guy, which, whatever.”
Lillard had an outpouring of support in January 2026 when Quentin Tarantino criticised his acting, saying he “didn’t care for” him, Paul Dano and Owen Wilson.
“It was like living through your own wake,” Lillard told Entertainment Weekly of the tributes and support. “All those RIP emails or tweets and Instagram posts and TikToks, all of the things we see after somebody passes are so sweet. And the reality is I just got to live through all of it firsthand – alive and kicking! I can’t imagine a more lovely reaction to what happened.”
Acknowledging that “nobody has to like me,” Lillard said: “I am not everyone’s first choice, that is obvious. But to then have that kind of reaction was beautiful.”
Lillard’s other credits include She’s All That, The Descendants andTwin Peaks: The Return. The new adaptation of Carrie from Mike Flanagan is out now.
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