Matthew Lillard shared with People magazine his admiration for being a part of a Quentin Tarantino film, expressing disappointment when the director criticized him alongside fellow actors Paul Dano and Owen Wilson last year. "I think he's a wonderful filmmaker," Lillard added, "but it was quite a bummer to be on the receiving end of his harsh words."
During a viral interview on "The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast" last fall, Tarantino lambasted Dano as "the weakest fucking actor in SAG" and expressed his disinterest in working with Lillard or Wilson. The backlash that followed was overwhelming, with Lillard recalling, "It felt like I had died and gone to heaven watching everyone send out their RIP tweets. It was like being a part of your own wake, sitting there and living through all the nice things people say after you've passed away."
Lillard's former Hollywood collaborators came to his defense on social media. Mike Flanagan, who directed Lillard in "The Life of Chuck" and cast him in the upcoming "Carrie" series reboot, called him "the goddamn greatest." James Gunn, who worked with Lillard on the "Scooby Doo" movies, called him "one of my favorite guys (and actors)." Even George Clooney accepted a prize from AARP and said he would be honored to work with any of the actors Tarantino had dissed.
Lillard initially spoke about Tarantino's comments at GalaxyCon in Columbus, Ohio, saying, "Who gives a shit," while acknowledging that "it hurts your feelings. It fucking sucks. You wouldn't say that to Tom Cruise or someone who's a top-line actor in Hollywood."
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly last month, Lillard said it was "crazy" to receive so much support from fans and industry names about Tarantino's diss. He added, "I keep showing it to my wife to convince her that I am worthy, that people still like me. Nobody has to like me. It's personal preference. I am not everyone's first choice, that's obvious, but to have that kind of reaction was beautiful."
Dano also received widespread support from fans and industry colleagues. Speaking to Variety at Sundance, Dano said it was "really nice" to see such a reaction and that he was "incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me so I didn't have to."
