In 2004, Matthew Lillard thought he was the next big movie star. Instead, he lost all credibility

Matthew Lillard’s role as Shaggy in the live-action Scooby-Doo films helped make him widely recognisable, but the article argues that it also narrowed the roles he was offered. After earlier success in Scream and independent films, he found himself struggling to secure prominent film work, showing how a successful franchise role can shape an actor’s career.

The first Scooby-Doo film, released in 2002, made $275 million on an $84 million budget, prompting the 2004 sequel, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. Lillard said in 2011 that industry tastemakers were reluctant to work with him because of the children’s film, and that he had to keep hustling for jobs. The article says he later returned to the Scream franchise and took roles in projects including Daredevil: Born Again and The Life of Chuck, while continuing to voice Shaggy.