When a beloved property is reimagined for a new audience, those who take on the role have a certain responsibility. This is something actor Matthew Lillardwho is currently filming Five Nights at Freddy's 2 as the villain, William Afton, has been acutely known for decades. It not only began Scream killer Stu Macher who would go on to become iconic, but who previously portrayed one of the most legendary characters of all time: Shaggy fromScooby-Doo franchise.
Lillard played Shaggy in two films – 2002. Scooby-Doo and 2004s Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed – and is still the main voice actor in various animated incarnations of the role. Now he's ready to pass on Shaggy's green T-shirt and love of sandwiches to the next generation, just like Netflix is doing now. developing a new gaming perspective on the franchise.
While Lillard won't be returning to the series, he has some sage wisdom about who will take over the character.
“Playing Shaggy, an iconic character that people adored, puts a lot of pressure on you,” Lillard tells Polygon. “You want to make sure you're making your fans happy and putting on a performance you're proud of.”
Walking this line can be difficult for an actor, but when it comes to a project like Scooby-Doo and its extensive history, it's important to respect those who paved the way for the role, as well as the fans who love it.
“We carry a character that goes far beyond who we are, and that's the only thing that matters,” Lillard says. “Do your best to present your version of him, and at some point, you know, you'll find yourself in public and some kid will call you Shaggy – and understand that it's a badge of honor, not anything else.”
This honor goes back more than half a century, dating back to Scooby-Doo's debut in 1969, when the character was voiced by legendary DJ Casey Kasem, who continued to voice Shaggy until 2009. If you hear Shaggy in your head, you're either hearing Kasem or someone is trying to recreate his voice.
Taking on the role of Shaggy is not an attempt to create his own take on the character from scratch, but rather moving the role forward while being respectful of the fans who have kept him alive for decades. For Lillard, it's like another franchise he loves.
“If you're in Star Wars, you have extra responsibility. You are so important to people,” he says. “Scooby-Doo has this fandom where we're just custodians of something much bigger than us, something that people watched with their grandparents who are no longer here.”
