After high school, Lillard was co-host of a short-lived TV show titled SK8-TV, and afterwards was hired as an extra in Ghoulies 3: Ghoulies Go to College (1991). In 1994, he was cast in the John Waters black comedy Serial Mom. The following year he was cast in five films, including Hackers, a thriller about a group of high school kids who thwart a multimillion-dollar corporate extortion conspiracy. In 1996, he was cast as Stu Macher in the horror film Scream. He also played Stevo in the independent film SLC Punk!, and supporting character Dennis Rafkin in Thirteen Ghosts. He was originally meant to reprise his role of Stu Macher in 2000's Scream 3 but the plans were changed.[9]
In 2011, Lillard guest starred on the Fox series House.[17] In 2011, he produced and directed his first feature film, Fat Kid Rules the World, based on the K. L. Going book of the same name.[18] Later that year, he appeared in the comedy-drama film The Descendants.[19] Lillard also reprised the voice role of Shaggy in the crossover episode in the television series Supernatural in 2018.[20]
In 2012, Lillard guest-starred in the Criminal Minds episode "The Apprenticeship". The following year, he played the role of Daniel Frye on the American TV series The Bridge. In 2014, Lillard starred as Peter in the animated film Under Wraps, alongside Brooke Shields and Drake Bell. In 2017, Lillard starred as William Hastings in the third season of Twin Peaks. The next year, he began co-starring as Dean Boland on the NBC series Good Girls.
He gained renewed recognition for his role as William Afton, a manipulative serial killer, in Five Nights at Freddy's. U.S. entertainment publication The Hollywood Reporter stated that he had entered "his Renaissance era" in popular culture, noting that the movie had the third highest ever domestic box office return during its opening weekend for a horror film. Lillard has credited his children as inspiring him both to take on the role and to give a dominating, assertive performance as the franchise's overarching villain.[2]
In an interview, Lillard elaborated,
"The hard part about playing this part is the pressure I put on myself to honor the fans, to deliver a great performance in an iconic role. There are millions of kids worldwide, and people that started playing as kids and are now adults, that have an expectation that this film will deliver on a really great level. So, being this iconic bad guy, the amount of pressure I put on myself to not suck is pretty extraordinary. That’s the hardest part."[2]
In January 2025, it was announced he is returning to the Scream franchise for its seventh entry, having previously played Stuart ‘Stu’ Macher in the first 1996 movie. [22]
Other ventures
Lillard was one of the co-founders of Beadle and Grimms, a company that publishes licensed expanded products, usually of a limited edition, from Wizards of the Coast games including Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.[23]
Lillard co-founded the company Find Familiar Spirits, which develops and sells specialized alcoholic beverages.[24]
Personal life
On August 26, 2000, Lillard married Heather Helm, with whom he has three children. They reside in Los Angeles.[25]
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