Matthew Lillard is going viral for saying he thinks people only like him because they miss the old days, but that quote hits harder because it says something uncomfortable about Hollywood right now.

Lillard joked that nostalgia may be the reason he is working again, saying, “I don’t think anyone really likes me. They just miss the old times.” He connected his recent career resurgence to the wave of legacy sequels, reboots, and old fan favorites getting new life, especially with his ties to Scream and Scooby Doo. But fans are reacting so strongly because his legacy has never been just nostalgia. From Stu Macher to Shaggy, from cult classics to his recent comeback roles, Lillard became one of those actors people remember because he made strange, funny, chaotic characters feel weirdly human. Maybe Hollywood sees him as a familiar face from the past. But fans are making it clear they see the talent that was there the whole time.

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