LOS ANGELES: Actor Matthew Lillard says it “sucked” when Quentin Tarantino publicly criticised him last year, though he has long hoped to work with the Oscar-winning filmmaker.
In an interview with People magazine, Lillard said he admires Tarantino's work and would “love” to be part of his films but was taken aback by the remarks.
“I think he's a lovely filmmaker, and to just sort of get punched in the mouth was kind of a bummer,” the actor said.
During a viral appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast last fall, Tarantino had slammed Hollywood star Paul Dano as “the weakest” actor in SAG and added that he did not care for Lillard or Owen Wilson.
Lillard is best known for playing Shaggy Rogers in the live-action Scooby-Doo films. He has also appeared in the slasher movie Scream, You're Next, and the horror anthology The Life of Chuck.
The actor said the backlash to Tarantino's comments and the wave of support he received from fans and colleagues felt surreal.
“It felt like I had died and was in heaven, watching everyone send out their RIP tweets… really being a part of your own wake,” he said.
Several of Lillard's former collaborators took to social media to defend him.
Filmmaker Mike Flanagan, who directed him in The Life of Chuck and cast him in the upcoming Carrie series reboot, called Lillard “the goddamn greatest,” while Superman director James Gunn, who worked with him on the Scooby-Doo films, described him as “one of my favourite guys (and actors).”
Hollywood icon George Clooney, meanwhile, said at an awards event that he would be “honoured to work with” any of the actors Tarantino had criticised.
Lillard had earlier addressed the remarks at GalaxyCon in Columbus, Ohio, saying that while he tried to shrug them off, “it hurts your feelings… It sucks.”