GalaxyCon Columbus took over the Greater Columbus Convention Center this weekend in Ohio, drawing a lineup of beloved film and TV stars including William Shatner, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Susan Sarandon, and Jason Isaacs. Among the Hollywood guests was Scream actor Matthew Lillard, who ended up giving one young fan one of the “happiest moments” of his life. The heartwarming interaction has captured attention online and is now making the rounds across social media platforms
The OP who posted their story in r/MadeMeSmile on Reddit, is a young child who is autistic. As is the case with many autistic children, he has a few special interests he’s borderline obsessed with: Five Nights at Freddy’s, Scream, and Scooby-Doo. Of course, Matthew Lillard is connected to all three IP in some shape or form. Firstly, Lillard portrays the main antagonist in the Five Nights at Freddy’s film adaptations. Secondly, he played one of the killers, Stu Macher, in the original Scream movie. And thirdly, he brought Shaggy Rogers to life in the 2002 and 2004 live-action Scooby-Doo films, even continuing to voice the character in several animated projects. In short, Lillard is kind of a big deal to this youngster.
Apparently, when the young fan saw Lillard in person, he was crying “VERY very hard” everytime he looked at the 55-year-old star. In his own words, this is how he described his experience:
Everyone around me was being very sweet until it was my turn. Matthew told me he liked my chosen name (Kurt!) and then asked me why I was crying so hard because “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. I told him that I had photo ops later in the day with him, and that I’d see him then. He said I wasn’t allowed to cry during our photo op and I promised I wouldn’t.
Via snowyjules on Reddit
At the photo op, he remembered my name, and gave me an extra hug even though it was very rushed. He is such a good actor, and genuinely an amazing human being.
With more than 119,000 upvotes and 2,000 comments, Lillard’s heartwarming moment has clearly resonated across the internet, where the majority of responses celebrate the award-winning actor. Over on Reddit, one user chimed in with, “I want a Matthew Lillard hug” while the OP added, “They will fix everything wrong in your life, I promise“. A third commenter joked, “I’m feeling a little woozy here” referencing one of his most iconic lines in Scream. A fourth thoughtfully penned, “Matthew Lillard isn’t just a good actor, he’s a good person, which is harder.“
While Lillard has been the subject of recent criticism from writer-director Quentin Tarantino, it’s clear that his kindness and authenticity matter far more to the people who meet him. And frankly, that’s a class act in my book.
