GalaxyCon Columbus took over the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Ohio this weekend, bringing together a star-studded lineup of beloved film and television icons, including William Shatner, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Susan Sarandon, and Jason Isaacs. Among the Hollywood guests was Scream actor Matthew Lillard, who created what one young fan described as one of the “happiest moments” of his life. The touching exchange has since captured widespread attention online and is now being shared across social media platforms.
The OP who shared their story on Reddit’s r/MadeMeSmile is the parent of a young autistic child. Like many autistic kids, he has a few deeply cherished special interests: Five Nights at Freddy’s, Scream, and Scooby-Doo. As it happens, Matthew Lillard is connected to all three franchises in one way or another. He portrays the main antagonist in the Five Nights at Freddy’s film adaptation, played Stu Macher in the original Scream, and brought Shaggy Rogers to life in the 2002 and 2004 live-action Scooby-Doo movies, later continuing to voice the character in several animated projects. In short, Lillard is a very big deal to this young fan.
Apparently, when the young fan saw Lillard in person, he began crying every time he looked at the 55-year-old star. They described the experience as such:
“I was crying VERY, VERY hard any time I looked over at him. Everyone around me was being very sweet until it was my turn. Matthew told me he liked my chosen name (Kurt!) and then asked why I was crying so hard, saying, “he didn’t even hurt me.” I told him it was because he’s very important to me. He kept making jokes and saying nice things to try and make me laugh and smile, and walked me out and away from the crowd of his line.“
Ohio Fans Praise Matthew Lillard
With more than 119,000 upvotes and 2,000 comments, Lillard’s heartwarming moment has clearly struck a chord online, with many responses praising the award-winning actor. On Reddit, some users wrote:
“I want a Matthew Lillard hug.”
“Matthew Lillard isn’t just a good actor, he’s a good person, which is harder.“
While Lillard has recently faced criticism from writer-director Quentin Tarantino, it’s clear that his kindness and authenticity mean far more to the people who actually meet him. And frankly, that makes him a class act in my book.
