Matthew Lyn Lillard was born on January 24, 1970, in Lansing, Michigan, and grew up in Tustin, California. He studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena and later attended the Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York. His early screen experience included hosting the skateboarding program SK8-TV and appearing as an extra in Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College. Roles in Serial Mom and Hackers helped launch his film career, while his energetic performance as Stu Macher in Scream brought him wider recognition. He followed it with memorable appearances in SLC Punk!, She’s All That, Thirteen Ghosts, and Without a Paddle.

For generations of fans, Lillard is equally beloved as Shaggy Rogers. He played the character in the live-action Scooby-Doo films released in 2002 and 2004, then continued voicing Shaggy in numerous animated productions. His dramatic work includes The Descendants, Trouble with the Curve, Twin Peaks: The Return, and the television series Good Girls. Lillard made his feature-directing debut with Fat Kid Rules the World, which premiered at SXSW in 2012 and received an audience award. He later welcomed a new wave of horror fans through his role as William Afton in Five Nights at Freddy’s, adding another distinctive character to a remarkably varied career.