Matthew Lillard Biography

Matthew Lillard American actor Matthew Lillard gained fame throughout the 90s for his roles in various films aimed at the teen demographic, from sweet romantic comedies to scare-filled slashers.Matthew Lynn Lillard was born January 24, 1970, in Lansing, Michigan. He was subsequently raised in Tustin, California. With his six foot, three inch frame and Hollywood look, Lillard began to pursue acting the summer after high school graduation.He made his onscreen debut in 1990 hosting the Nickelodeon show SK8 TV. One year later, he appeared as an extra in the universally despised Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College. Determined to learn his trade more thoroughly, Lillard attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts located in Pasadena, California. (A then unknown Paul Rudd was a fellow classmate.)With his new training, he went on to found the Mean Street Ensemble theater company. When the company fell apart in 1991, Lillard moved to New York City to obtain more training. To that end, he attended Circle in the Square theater school.Once in New York, roles were slow until Lillard's manager, Bill Treusch, secured him an audition for the new John Waters horror/comedy Serial Mom, with Kathleen Turner, Sam Waterston, and Suzanne Somers. Winning the role, Lillard began getting noticed by more casting agents, directors, and producers.In the two years following Serial Mom, Lillard took a slew of roles, many of which were in small, forgotten films. The high points, however, included his 1995 turn in Animal Room, opposite Neil Patrick Harris, Gabriel Olds, and Amanda Peet; Mad Love in 1995, with Drew Barrymore, Joan Allen, and Chris O Donnell; Hackers, opposite Johnny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, Jesse Bradford, and Marc Anthony; and the star-laden made-for-TV film If These Walls Could Talk, with Demi Moore, Catherine Keener, Sissy Spacek, Cher, Anne Heche, Jada Pinkett Smith, Craig T Nelson, and Rita Wilson.But it was the following year that made Lillard a household name. Cast in the new Wes Craven horror/slasher Scream, Lillard became an overnight success along with many of his costars such as David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Skeet Ulrich, Rose McGowan, Jamie Kennedy, and Liev Schreiber.Lillard followed up with more screams and thrills in Scream 2 and Dead Man's Curve. He then displayed his acting talents beside Annabeth Gish, Christopher McDonald, and Summer Phoenix in the independent success SLC Punk!Veering more toward the mainstream, Lillard showed up in She's All That, with Rachael Leigh Cook and Freddie Prinze Jr; Summer Catch, with Jessica Biel; Thir13en Ghosts, with Tony Shalhoub and Shannon Elizabeth; Scooby-Doo, with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Rowan Atkinson, and Isla Fisher; and more.Lillard recently completed What Love Is, with Cuba Gooding Jr, Sean Astin, and Gina Gershon. Always busy and in demand, Lillard is in varying stages of production for three separate projects.In his personal life, Lillard is rumored to have dated Scream co-stars McGowan and Campbell as well as Christine Taylor before settling down with Heather Helm in 2000. They are currently still together with two children.