
Actor Matthew Lillard (Scream, Scooby Doo) discusses his varied career in spooky movies, his lifelong love for Dungeons & Dragons, and delves into the surprising connections between horror and comedy. Plus, when Tarot goes bad! We share stories of the downside of a reading.
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C
Hello, sweetie.
B
That was very lackluster, Irene. That's not your usual.
C
Because it's not my. Hello, sweetie. Take that one. Use that cut.
B
Okay. Today we are here with an actor. You know him from many movies and more. Please welcome Matthew Lillard to the show.
A
Yay. Thank you for having me. I feel like I'm invading like your high school reunion. The two of you are such good friends. No, no, I hope I don't interrupt.
B
No. Well, I hope we don't interrupt you. So thank you for doing the show. I know you have a spooky scary movie coming out and that's kind of what you're. Are you like making the rounds for press? Is that how you got roped into.
A
Oh, is that what the woo. Oh, is Woo Woo just about scary things?
B
It can be anything. It could be. It could even be like you went for like a weird massage or like you had a bad tarot reading or you saw a ghost or you're in a spooky movie. It's a big umbrella.
A
Okay, I got you. I got you.
B
But anyway. Cause you're in the upcoming. Well, you were in Five Nights at Freddy's movie and the upcoming Five Nights at Freddy's 2.
A
Yes.
B
I'm just leading off with the headline news.
A
That is the headline. That is why I'm here.
B
And then you've coincidentally been in a bunch of kind of spooky, scary movies. Of course. I think the first time I saw you was as Shaggy in the Scooby Doo movies. Yes, yes. And Scream.
A
Scream. Scream was a little bit.
B
Of course. Scream was before.
C
Wait, were you. Okay, this may sound asinine, but did. Were you in a movie called 13 Ghosts?
A
I was in that movie. Irene. Yes.
C
I knew it. Yes.
A
I love one prize. Yes, I've been in many scary things.
B
You've been in, like, all scary things.
C
Or scary scary things, but you're always comical. I find you to be, like, a comedian in scary movies.
B
Yes.
C
Like, your character is always funny.
A
I do find that. I think that there's a great place in film. Like in Aliens, for example, Bill Paxton's hilarious. Like, who put her in charge? Like, all of that sort of, like, it's born, like, comedy born out of really high emotional stakes, I think is really rich. And I think that that's a great place to live. Scream. You know, with. With Wes Craven, there's a bunch of sequences in the end, right. There's a big scene where it all is revealed. Spoiler alert. There's two killers. And at certain points, you're like, oh, my God, this is horrifying because you're killing kids. But then at the same time, you're laughing because there's, like, you know, you hit me with the phone dick. I think I'm dying here. Like, all these sort of, like, these great lines that are funny as shit on really high emotional states.
C
Right. But it's also your expression, though. I feel like your facial expressions are hilarious during these times as well.
A
Yes. I have a very malleable face.
B
You can see me, too. We've both made a living off of our mothers. No, speaking for myself. Speaking for myself, I'm not calling you a mugger.
A
I'm a mugger for sure. No, there's no doubt. Like, as a kid, I mean, I was in a movie called Hackers, and I watch that movie now, and I don't have a straight line on the whole movie. Every line is out of my mouth is, like, on a 10, I'm chewing scenery left, right, and center.
B
It's funny you talk about the horror movie with the comic. Because when you're watching horror movie, like, you want that little moment of laugh. Like, you're so tense, so you're right. It's a welcome energy.
A
Yeah. And I don't think a lot. I mean, I think some people go for it, and it doesn't always work. Out. And when you get it right, it's incredible. When you sort of cheese out and try, you know, comedy's hard. Like I think that I'm curious to see what you guys think. Why do you think you're funny? Let me ask you that.
B
Turning the tables. This is what this is called. Why do we think.
C
Oh, look at you. He's like a hard nosed reporter. He just flipped on us. Yeah, yeah, you're flipping.
B
I don't know.
C
I. I will say this about horror and comedy. No, I'm not going to answer the question.
B
Okay.
C
I'm gonna define.
A
No, you can't.
C
Give me a second. Wait, hold on a second.
B
Oh my God.
C
I think one of the things about horror and comedy though, they have the same element of you can't see it coming and then it's scary and it's funny. Okay, so I'll segue into. I think, can I add to that.
A
Can I also think that both of those genres makes you feel things viscerally in the audience. If you're sitting in the dark and people next to you are laughing, there's a physiological response and the same thing happens in horror. So I think those two things are very similar. I'm.
B
Yes, and that's right. Comedy and horror, both good to see in a group, in a crowd. Like if you're in a play that's a comedy and you're with other people laughing, that elevates it up. And the same with her. Like Irene and I saw Get Out Together in the movie theater and I was like crunched up in my chair. It was like the opening weekend and you could just feel like the audience like those laughing, you know how people scream and then it turns into laughter. Like that's just such a bonding moment. Yes, right.
C
That's a good example. Getting deeper. Dratchy. Yes, sweetie? Going for it because it was funny, but scary.
B
Now back to why I think I'm funny by Rachel Dratch. No, I don't want to answer that. I don't know.
C
Yeah, what?
A
Yes, you do.
B
I'm just joking around.
A
Both of you.
B
We probably all grew up. Well, can I ask. I'm turning the tables back. Can I ask?
A
No, I will not be distracted. I will not be distracted.
B
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B
You're the devil.
A
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C
Wow.
A
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B
I was gonna ask from childhood and I usually ask this anyway and then we'll get back to why we're all hilarious. But but I was gonna get back to how did you get into acting? And it seems like you veered towards the comic. And as a kid, were you funny? How did that all come about? That you wanted to be an actor?
A
Well, it kind of goes into the reason why I think I'm funny. I mean I was an obese teenager. I didn't know that who was transplant from Detroit, Michigan to Orange County, California. I felt out of place. I had a severe learning disability. It was my defense mechanism not getting my ass kicked in the late 80s or the early 80s. You know, is this this you become Funny. Because shit sometimes is hard as a teenager.
B
Good point. Right.
A
So.
B
Right.
A
That was my win. Right. If I couldn't, I couldn't do math. And so I would make people laugh and then endear people to me.
B
Yeah.
A
So that I could manipulate to success and not fail.
B
Yeah.
A
That's why I'm funny. Why are you funny, Irene? I'm not getting off of it.
C
All right. You're not going to get off. All right. Let me tell you something. Now it's gonna sound like I'm just, you know, trying to plagiarizing your shit. Because my story is very similar to your story.
A
Right.
C
I think I come from the school of, like, you know, tragedy births, comedy, and not the other way around. And I think it is a survival mechanism. So if I had to say, why am I funny? I think it's because. And it takes a while. It took me a long time, you know, getting on stage as a standup comedian to tap into who you are on stage and being vulnerable enough to get there. Okay. But once you get there and you are open and you're conn, I feel like you just, you know, it's a survival mechanism. And I think people connect with you so they see what you're seeing. It's like you're viewing from the same lens, but I think it does take time.
B
But wait, I mean, no, I mean, hold on. Because you had a similar thing, though. You guys were living in the suburbs of Boston and then you had to move.
C
That's right.
B
Back to Astoria for, like, a long time. And then you were like, you're back and forth. And you were kind of two very different worlds. Misplaced, if I may answer your question, for you. Kind similar.
C
Thank you. Well, you can, sweetie, because you've known.
B
Me that long, and for me, I mean, I just. My dad was very funny, so I just grew up with, like, a funny sort of teacher. I don't know how you say it. It was just always, like, in the air.
C
Yeah, sure.
A
Was your mom.
B
My mom's. My. She knows my mom. My mom's, like, witty. My dad's more like a. Like, he was more of like a ham. Like, I mean, he was not in an obnoxious way. Not like, yada. He was just like. He could have been a. He could have been a comedian, but he wasn't.
A
What was.
B
He was. He was a doct. He was a radiologist. He was from, like, immigrant parents and then went on to become a doctor. And I don't know that he ever, like, wanted to truly Be a comedian. He just was very funny, though. And he did impressions. Sure, he did impressions of people.
A
Is your dad still alive?
B
No, he's not. He passed, like, eight years ago. Yeah. But anyway, that was sort of just, like, in the air. And then I would watch SNL from a very young age, and I was kind of, like, fascinated by that.
A
Yeah. Somebody just asked me if I'd rather do SNL or a live play of. I play Dungeons and Dragons.
B
Yeah.
A
And would I want to play Critical Role or snl. And I thought to myself, I don't think I would enjoy a single moment of SNL until the wrap party. And I was over it, and I had success because the anxiety. I think the anxiety would be so high for me that I just would not enjoy it at all.
B
Did you. You never hosted. Did you?
A
No.
B
Okay, okay, okay. I was gonna say, for me, like, the actual. The anxiety was about creating the material. And, like, that writing night, like, that was the more anxiety. Then once you're performing, I mean, then your scene could get cut, and then that's anxiety, too. But then, like, when you're actually doing the scene, like, that was the fun part. It was more of like, oh, I can't think of anything. Like, that was the more sort of.
A
Yeah, sure, painful part.
B
Whatever.
A
Well, there's so much. I don't think that people understand how much weight goes into the creation of the show during the week. So I was really good friends with Neve Campbell when she hosted, and so I sort of lived through that week with her. And just the ins and outs and you guys putting it together and how hard that is, and just the creative process and having to do it week after week. You can write a great sketch. Any great writer can write one great sketch. You have to write three great sketches every week. And that's crazy. That's almost always.
B
Yeah, it definitely. You couldn't just bank on, like, well, here comes another character. Like, you had to kind of just wait till the muses sort of, like, smile on you.
C
Yeah.
A
Let me ask you a question. In your whole cycle during snl, what was the one moment you're like, oh, I'm good at this. I belong here. Or did you all. Were you always tap dancing?
B
You always tap dancing to be like.
A
I'm worthy, I'm worthy, I'm worthy, I'm worthy, I'm worthy.
B
I mean, it was. I don't remember many moments of, like, yeah, I belong. I mean, you would see you belong there. Like, in terms of, like, do I deserve to get hired?
A
Here?
B
Yeah. Like, I mean, you've worked so hard to get there, but in terms of being there and feeling like, well, I'm sitting pretty. You barely ever felt that way. At least I didn't. Because you're always like, week to week, you gotta come up with something. You never quite know where you stand.
A
Like, so you never felt like, I'm proud of this and good job, Rach.
B
You would feel moments of, like, if a scene went well, you would feel like, okay, like, that went well. Like, you could tell when something went well for sure, but you just couldn't predict, like, when that was gonna happen.
A
And on a scale of 1 to 10, what's the self loathing when it goes really bad?
B
Oh, my gosh. Well, you know what's funny? I don't know if I'd call it self loathing. It's more just like ego pulverized. Like, I can't explain it. It's like you're in this system where, like, when things are going badly, like three weeks in a row, like, you're barely on the show. It's more of like, nerves. Like, oh, I'm never gonna be able to think of a scene again. Or I'm never gonna. So. Yeah, but it's funny. Cause now that was so long ago. I'm kind of out of touch with those feelings. I'm more in touch with, like, that was fun, you know? Cause like, you just remember all the fun stuff and like, of course, the friends you make and all that. Yeah. Who's leading this podcast? Who's this? I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding.
A
Well, I like. But I do think that. I think that people. People don't understand is that there's a real imposter syndrome. Even in all the six hours. Right?
B
Totally. Yeah. Coming out of snl, you might think, like, okay, now I just coast. Because, like, everything's gonna happen and it's not like that at all. Like, you're back where you. Square one. Not quite square one, but you know what I mean. Well, you know, coming off, this is a successful movie, Matthew, from movie to movie. Yeah.
A
Yeah. I do think that there's, you know, the people don't understand. And we do cons all the time. And one of our things is that whenever you do a convention, you have to do a Q and A. And they always have these moderators. And we go to the moderator, and this is the cast of Scream. And we'll go to the moderator and we'll say. We just let the audience ask questions and My whole thing is that I start these things up by saying, ask us anything. Because the reality of our lives is way more interesting than the perceived life that we live. Our perceived life is like, oh, it's always up. You've got all this money, you've got all these opportunities, and the reality is always the opposite. Right? We're very blue collar. You have these ebbs and flows in your career and you have times when you just don't know if you're ever gonna work again. And that's harrowing and hard and it's a really sort of brutal life. And when it's great, it's amazing. Yes, being in Scream was awesome. Five nights at Freddy's, incredible. But there's been years in between where I was like, oh, you know, we're on financial aid, we are selling our house, we're getting rid of our cars. Like these moments of like there's this. It's just a. It's a complex life that we lead. And while it's great and has moments of brilliance, it's complicated.
B
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B
Well, I'm going to flip you into Woowoo a little bit.
C
Oh good.
A
Okay, good.
B
Actually, I do have a question about something you said. The Dungeons and Dragons of it all. I mean, that's a little woo woo. Like I said, big umbrella. Tell me about you and Dungeons and Dragons because I was reading a little bit about this.
A
Yeah. So I'm 55. So the game was, you know, I think it came out in 77 and I was 7 years old and we played like back in the 80s, like, you know, you, you know, you would run around and like you'd play war. Then you play football with a whole pack of kids. And at some point this kid David Larson's like, let's play Dungeons and Dragons. And we played from 8 years old to 11 or 12 years old. When I finally figured out maybe the chicks don't dig dd, I think middle school is when, not that I saw as an obese teenager any boobs ever. That I was like, oh, this isn't cool, I shouldn't play anymore. But the fun thing was that when I was 21, I went back to acting school in New York and my roommate at the time had his D and D books. And I'm like, dude, why do you have D and D books? And he's like, I still play. I was like, well, we should play. And so I'll never forget one night after the super bowl, we stayed at Circle in the Square, which is where we went to school. And we started playing one night at 10 o' clock at night and we played till 6 o' clock in the morning. And that same group of guys from 21 to 55, we all play Dungeons and Dragons. I've started two companies, all those guys. And I started a company called Beadle and Grimm's where we make high end box editions of Dungeons and Dragons releases. And then I've recently started a company called Find Familiar Spirits. We built high end spirits experiences around fandoms. And the first fandom we built for was for Dungeons and Dragons. So we built this. I have a bottle.
B
I'm gonna show you. Yeah. Wait a second. Yes. Ooh, yeah.
A
So it's Quest act.
B
Ooh.
C
Move over. George Clooney.
A
Yeah, well, he's. Yeah, he's selling this for a billion. I'm building whiskey for nerds. Two totally different worlds, but the reality is that, you know, it's. For me, I've been playing with the same guys since I was 21. They're my best friends in the world. You know, we gather around a table and we tell stories. It's like, you know, some guys play poker, some guys go to baseball games. You know, we play Dungeons and Dragons.
B
Wait, so just tell me again, you started this high end spirits company, and what do you. You create experience for? Tell me this again.
A
Yeah, so we started a company two years ago called Find Familiar Spirits.
B
Find Familiar Spirits. Okay.
A
And we build high end spirit experiences around fandom. So, you know, if you go to BevMo or any big box store, you've got, you know, 100 yards of, you know, five shelves deep of brown liquid, and they're all sort of selling the same story. They're out there, you know, there's a crowd.
B
There's a whole barrels involved.
A
There's a. Yeah, there's a guy in a cowboy hat, and they're all trying to sell, you know, brown liquid to people. And I was like, well, you know, building something for a community, like, as a D and D guy, you know, the thing we found with Beadle and Grimm's is that if you build luxury goods for people in niche community, that community will come out in droves and support it because you're. You're making them feel seen. And so for me, building this company with, you know, I've got partners, and now we have 12 people that work for us. But building a whiskey company around a fandom, so we're not trying to appeal to everyone. We're trying to appeal to. It's a $2.2 billion a year industry. So I don't have to sell whiskey to the guy down the street. I have to sell whiskey to the guy who rolls dice or the woman that sort of plays the druid or the paladin each bottle. So there's four seasons. Each season is a year long. Each season has four different drops. Each bottle, right. Is a different character, class. And there's an ongoing saga. So you get like, you know, you get a. I don't have it on me, but you get a. You know, you get a book. So each one of them comes with an ongoing story. So we're telling the story of a paladin named Saren, and she's a God, you know, she's a paladin of ink. Sad. So you're telling a story. So as you're. You're pouring your liquid, you're reading the story, you're. You're sharing it with friends around the table. And then we did the same thing with horror.
B
Oh, yeah.
A
So we have a brand called Macabre Spirit. So Mike Flanagan, who's, you know, did Life of Chuck recently and, you know, Haunting of Hill House.
B
Oh, yeah.
C
Yes, I love him. Yes, he's great.
A
So he wrote a novella. He wrote this short story. So we have a horror brand called Macabre Spirits. And that's our thing. So we go out and we build for communities instead of for everyone.
B
That sounds cool.
A
And it's been super cool.
C
We kind of do the same thing with Margs, and we sit there and work out our problems. It's an ongoing story as well, right? A little bit. Like, there's a bonding. I see the beauty behind this because you're bonding to the characters and to the story with the whiskey.
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
C
There's bonding. It's a bonding experience.
A
Yeah, yeah. And you're letting people listen. You know, again, you're building things for people that not a lot of people build things for. Like, if you love watches, there's a million watches out there, right? And that people. Or you're a collector or cars, and so people will sell you things because you love cars or horses or whatever. So we are, you know, we see people in their fandom and build something for them in the thing that they hold dear. Did you say Margs like margaritas?
B
Joking. Because Irene and I go for margaritas. We don't have a mark. We don't have a company. We have our own. Yeah, I know. I knew that was. Yes, I was glossing over that. I was like, he's not going to get Margs.
A
But I will say that. Look, the reality is that, you know, in between jobs in this business, you know, it's hard to work all. Nobody's career goes straight up. And in between being the co. CEO of a company and building a company and trying to figure out business and tariffs and imports and how do you get distribution? All these things?
C
That's a lot.
A
Yeah, it's a lot. But it's really exciting and it's a different side of my brain that I never got a chance to use and I find it really exhausting.
B
Well, I feel like there are people in our listeners that would be into this. So between the horror and the D and D, so there's a lot of woo woo going on. So look for Matthew's line of spirits. Where do people find these in regular stores or do they have to order them?
A
No, we go direct to customer. So we ship it to your. Yeah, we ship it right to your door.
B
Excellent.
A
So it's super dope. Thank you for asking. By the way. That was really nice. I had the bottle right here. This just came out. We literally just released it.
B
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A
I wish I did. I wish I did. I don't really. I did have this thing where I'm scared to talk about it because it really freaks me out.
B
Well, no press.
C
Oh, I want to know.
A
No, but there's. There is this thing, like, we have pressure. Yeah. Yeah. It's kind of funny. So we went to dinner with friends in New York, and there was this woman who was reading at this table upstairs. Like, it was like down in the Village. And there was this woman that was doing a reading. And Heather, my wife, and Lisa, her girlfriend, went upstairs and they. Lisa was like, I'm gonna have her do my reading.
B
Tarot cards.
A
A tarot card. And the reading that she got was like, oh, my God. And it was like, super. Right on. Right. Like, crazy right on. She's like, oh, that was crazy. And they both came down like, oh, that was really. Like, they're both sort of shattered.
B
Like, was. Was it bad or. They were just, like, surprised how on.
A
It was on the money.
B
Okay.
A
Across the board. It was like, really dialed in. So Heather went up to do a reading and she said at one point, this woman said, you have one kid that's gonna break your heart. And. And the weird thing is it stuck with me for so long that would.
B
That.
C
Of course it would.
A
And you're like. And you're like, broke my shot. Like, you're gonna break her heart how? And, like, does that mean they die? Does that mean they're mean? Does that mean they literally don't call one Christmas exactly? Like, what. What is that? Or don't show up at your funeral. Like, I don't know what that is, but the weird thing is, is that it stuck with me to this day. That here we are literally, you know, 20, 17 years later or whatever it is, and I remember it and I hate it.
B
I don't like that. I don't like that.
C
I'm not a fan of that.
A
No, not a fan of that.
B
Well, let me tell.
A
Thanks for bringing it up. This interview's over. It's over.
B
Wait, listen to this.
A
I hate you.
B
I'm gonna counteract that.
A
Oh, good.
B
I haven't gone to many. Even though this is Woo woo. Like, we're not, like, calling a psychic every day. Like, we're not really. We've got a foot in the ground. On the ground, I should say. Not in the ground. But no. I've gone to, like, a couple psychics over the years, but one of them told me this was back in my, like, late 30s, and, you know, I wanted to have a kid at some point and I asked her, like, was I ever gonna have kids? And she was like, well, you're meant to have a marriage and kids. She didn't say you are. She said, you're meant to. Which to me, I took that to mean, like. And that's what you tell someone who's not, you know, like, married. It's stuck with me. And I think this is the bad thing about going to readers and stuff, because they can plant a bad seed and it's not always right, right?
C
No.
B
Now, in the end, I did have a kid, but years later, and it was whatever. But she said. She said, you're meant to be married with a kid. I never was married. So whatever. I just mean, like, it stuck with me in a bad way. Like what you said.
C
It's seeding. It's terrible. Then you build a narrative around that seed.
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I will say that I do think that it's legit. Like, not that this reader was legit, but I think it's harrowing how much it stuck with us. But there is, like, I do know that there's this one story that it's not my story to tell, but I'm gonna tell it anyways just because I'm a hack. But I had a friend of mine pass and this woman went to go see this same woman I'm gonna tell you about. I don't know her name. We'll call her Judy. But Judy went to. There was a dinner party, and we were at the dinner party and this woman walks in and she had brought her girlfriend, Judy, and she's like, you know, because that was her date for the night. And Judy walked. You know, the woman that was invited, she was like, I have the. I'm bringing this friend Judy, and they go to the host the party. And she's like, I don't know how you feel about this, but Judy can read spirits, right? She's like, can speak to the dad or whatever. And I don't know what. What is the word? It's not clairvoyant. It's a medium. Medium. And she's like, she wants to talk to you if you're interested. If you're not interested, don't. You don't have to worry about it. And the host of the party, like, well, yeah, of course I'm interested. And so Judy walks over and she says, I never do this, but I've got somebody coming through, and they are saying to me that, you're a writer. Are you a writer? And she's like, yeah. So you're working on a book right now. You're working on a book about this woman? She's like, yes, I am. So this person's here, wants to tell you you're in the wrong section of the library. You're actually looking in the wrong place, and you have to go to. And she gave her some kind of redirection on how to find information about her life.
B
Like literally the wrong section. Like, literally.
A
Yeah, you're literally in the wrong. You're looking at the wrong place and go here to find the information you're looking for.
C
Wow.
A
And she did.
C
Wow.
A
Yeah. And so literally, a year ago, I went to the woman who was doing that research, and I was at a book reading, and it was this woman who was like, I was in the wrong place and found the right place and has just completed her book. How crazy is that?
B
That's a great story.
C
Wow. That's a beautiful story. Yeah.
A
And my friend whose husband had passed, she went to go speak to Judy, and her husband came through and he said. He gave her, like, a very specific, you know, something's about to happen and you have to say yes to it. And she did, because she had this moment, and it turned out to be a really good thing. So anyways, all of. None of those stories are mine. I wish that would happen. I wish that would happen.
C
Yeah.
A
You know that John Edwards. You remember John Edwards.
C
Yes.
A
Like, I was, like, obsessed. I wanted to go sit in the audience and, like, I want somebody to come through.
B
I never know about those. I'M a little skeptical about those big group readings when they're like, is there an M, Please? It's like, like, it just seems like a little bit fishing to me. It is.
A
Seen the guy that's come up recently that's like, super. He's like, pop to relevance.
B
No.
A
Oh, this is Oz Perlman.
B
Oh, no, I don't know Oz Perlman. No, I don't know him.
A
Oh, my God. I'm giving you skinny.
C
Okay, we'll bring him on because we're very dubious about these people. But guess what, dude?
A
Oz Perlman is literally the guy going on. He went on CNN and sat with Anderson Cooper and he was like, I want you to think of somebody. Like your most favorite guest. I want you to think of him. He's like, okay, now I want you to be lying to yourself and I want you to think of somebody else. Like, I saw the first one. I want you to lie to some and I want you to think of somebody else. Not the first person, because that's somebody I could have seen. I want you to get obscure and I want you to pick up the second person. And Anderson Cooper is like, okay, I got him. He's like, why are you thinking about Barack Obama? And Anderson Cooper's like, how did you do that? That's impossible.
B
I think I have. Now that you mentioned. I think I did just see him pop up, like, this week somewhere doing that.
A
He's like, on fire right now. He's like, his whole thing is like. He went into, like, Mentalist. Yeah. He went into, like, a locker room. He started doing his thing and he was like, look. And somebody in an interview, I saw him because my son's now obsessed with me, keeps sending me videos. But interview. He said, he's like, what do you. He's like, I understand people want to be skeptical, but I'm not paying Anderson Cooper, for example. What am I going to pay him? $50,000 to lie on my behalf.
B
That's fascinating.
A
How do I approach. I don't know him. I can't go to him and be like, hey, I'm going to make a transaction deal where I'm going to pay you. You have all this money to prop me up. Who's going to do that? He's like.
C
Oh, I'd like to get him on this show.
A
I've just given you the biggest scoop on the Woo Woo.
B
Yes, you did. That's a lead for us. Irene A.W. pearlman.
C
That sounds amazing. That's the kind of Liam Lillard for that.
B
Liam Lillard okay, that's.
A
It was all him who did that.
B
Okay, I have to come out of the gate here about this product because I tried it and I don't know if you're going to have the same results, but I had instantaneous results helping my sleep. My sleep was, I was going through a real bad spell there. Not getting more than five or six hours of sleep a night for a couple weeks in a row. I was at my wits end. And then coincidentally, woo woo wise, this product, Qualia Magnesium plus came across as a sponsor. I tried it and I had instant results. I mean this is just my personal testimony. I had instant results. It's magnesium. And I tried just regular old drugstore magnesium, which didn't work for me. But what I learned was almost every supplement uses one form of magnesium. But magnesium comes in many forms and each form helps your health in a different way, which is why you need to try Qualia Magnesium Plus. So most people know that magnesium is critical for sleep. I was barely learning this myself. But some forms help muscle recovery, brain function, heart health, bone health, mood and over 300 functions in the body. That's why Qualia Magnesium plus is the only product to combine 10 bioavailable forms of magnesium with more than 70 trace minerals that help fuel magnesium support. It's full spectrum magnesium to deliver magnesium's full potential. Now the full body benefits are you will sleep more deeply, think more sharply, recover more quickly. It supports muscle strength, steadier mood and stress response, which Irene has testified to and better energy metabolism so far. I just noticed the sleep. I hope all these other things are happening as well. Like I said, I just started this. But the big picture is it's not just a sleep supplement. It's a full body magnesium system built for modern living. To feel your best every day, it is time to improve your sleep. I swear I already told friends about this before I even was doing this ad. After I tried it, I instantly told friends about this. So if that's not a personal endorsement, I don't know what is. Experience the most trusted magnesium for purity, potency and performance. Plus it's non gmo, vegan and gluten free, making it a choice you can feel good about. Go to qualiolife.com woowoo for 50% off. And here's a bonus. Using the code Woowoo will get you an additional 15% off your order. That's Q-U-A-L-I D A life.com woowoo and use code Woowoo. Thank you Qualia for sponsoring this episode. Close your eyes. Exhale. Feel your body relax. And let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh, my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste. Visit 1-800-contacts.com today to save on your first order. 1-800-contacts. Wait, so how old are your kids?
A
I have a 23. 21. 17.
C
Girl.
A
Non binary girl. And then.
B
Okay, gotcha, gotcha. I have a son. He's 15. And just the listeners have already heard this, but I'll just tell you that a psychic did predict that I was gonna have a kid, and I was already 43, and I didn't believe. I was like, okay, whatever. And then I did have a kid. So that's.
A
That's good.
B
I did have one that came true, but one that really didn't. But anyways, okay, first of all, Five Nights at Freddy's 2 comes out December 5th. Is that right?
A
Correct. Well played, by the way. Seamless pivot from kids. Five Nights at Freddy's.
B
I think my son loves Five Nights at Freddy's, and he's been into it for a long time, so that was my segue.
A
That was good. I will say that. Five Nights. Your son should come see Five Nights. It's really good. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The movie. The first movie is fantastic. Huge hit, massive hit. Second movie I think is gonna be 10 times better. People are gonna lose their minds. December 5th. My job here.
C
Yay. That's great. Wait, I have a question before we go to Penchi. I want to know what Wes Craven was like working with him. Because I love him.
A
He's great. Like, I loved. I loved him. The thing I like to say about Wes is that, you know, he had all these, like, her. Like Nightmare on Elm street, like, all these crazy movies. But he was an ornithologist. He'd go and spend his time watching the birds. Like, he was such a beautiful, lovely man, an incredible filmmaker, Deep, deep thinker. He was a theologian. Like, he, you know, he was in seminary.
C
What? Actually, that makes sense. Yeah, it really does.
A
Yeah. Was just like, he's a beautiful man. I loved him. You know, some movies you do, sometimes you work, you have transactional sort of relationships, right? I say my line, you pay me money, everyone gets along great. And then there's people that make deep impact on your life. And he was one of those men for me, and I loved him. I went to. I hadn't talked to him in years when he passed. And I was like, oh, I'm going to go sit in this. This celebration of life. And I just thought to myself, I just want to show respect, his family, his son. And I sat there in the back of the house by myself, sobbing for an hour straight. I just. There was such a depth to the impact he had on my life. Like, he gave me this. There's a great story that I tell sometimes that during Scream, we only had one cell phone, right? It was like the set cell phone. We had phones. And he had this phone. I was looking to call my mom, and he had the phone out back. And I went out back, and it was him and Marianne, the producer of the movie. And I walked up and I said, kep on the phone, we'll call my mom to wish her a happy birthday. And he said, oh, it's funny. We were just talking about you. And I was like, oh, yeah? What were we saying? Like, kind of being smartass. He's like, well, we were just saying, someday you're going to win an Acade Award. And I was like, oh, yeah? Why don't you tell my mom that? So he gets on the phone, he says, hi, it's Wes Craven. I just want to tell you, someday your son's going to win an Academy Award. And the reason I love that story is that when my life feels like I may never work again, I may never get another shot, those moments of imposter syndrome, I have these little, you know, this little. This beautiful story about Wes Craven and having deeper belief in me than I've had in myself at times in my life. And. And, you know, I just think you've got to have those sort of beats where somebody makes you feel special or that you're proud of your work. And, you know, and that, for me was just really, you know, that's special.
C
Wow. Amazing. Thank you for sharing that. Thank you.
A
It's a fun little story. Thank you anyways. But he was great. All right, Penji, let's go.
B
You're so funny. All right, Benji. Super. You think of a question, a yes or no question, and then just think of it. And then you're going to. Don't tell us yet, but then you're going to reveal it afterwards. And we always say, don't ask anything. That it's going to make you, like, bummed out if it doesn't give the answer you want.
A
Okay, I'm deeply considering this question. I feel like I have one chance to speak to the Oracle, so now I have to make it.
B
Oh, my gosh. Well, anyone can have a pendulum. You can use a hanging object and ask for yourself later, clearly, because, sweetie.
C
You'Re using another necklace. I mean, what happened to bird on a branch?
B
I don't know where my bird is. It's somewhere in the apartment, so.
A
Okay.
B
All right. You got one. You got one. All right, here we go. Okay. Ready, Irene? Here we go. Okay, I'm getting an answer.
C
A resounding.
B
I'm getting a yes. Okay, we both got a yes.
C
Yes immediately.
B
You didn't want a yes.
A
No, I did. My question was, will we soon end this scourge of ice in America? Yay.
B
That was a good question.
C
That was a good question.
A
Listen, I literally was like, will there be a five nights.
B
Three.
A
And I really decided to ask shit I really cared about. And let me just say that if you're out there and you're politically inclined to be Republican, and I respect that. I don't think what's happening in America right now is reflective of what America's about. And part of that is ice and the shit that's happening in Nice. So I'm.
B
Well, Irene and I don't need a disclaimer, but you can have one. But we're fully on board with what you just asked and.
A
Oh, I know. I have no idea. I recently a screening for Scream. I said ice, and the blowback was, I've never been a political figure. I don't. I, like. I have no problem speaking my political beliefs, but I'm not in the.
B
Yes, I understand.
A
Not like Mark Ruffalo.
B
Totally.
A
Who's out there?
B
I totally get it.
C
Yeah. Yeah, totally.
B
We're. We're on board with what you're saying, for sure.
A
High five.
B
Yes.
A
I have no doubt.
B
I like that you asked something like, more for the greater humanity.
C
Right. Very altruistic question. Thank you so much.
B
That was good. I liked it.
C
Yeah.
B
Okay, so five nights at Freddy's, December 5th. Go see. I know my teen boy will be all over that.
A
Oh, good.
B
And, Matthew, thank you so much for joining us. At one point, you turned the tables and I got my own interview seat, so that was fun, too. But no, so nice to meet you and thanks for taking the time.
C
So nice to meet you. Thank you, Matthew.
A
Thanks for having me, guys.
C
Thank you so much.
B
And you can find me on Instagram at Ray Dratch. That's R A E Dratch and you can find Irene at IreneBremis. That's B R E M I S Bremis. And thanks for listening. Thanks for joining me on this journey into the world of Woo Woo. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch is a Q Code production executive produced by David Henning and Steve Wilson. Produced by Alexa Gabriel Ramirez Edited by Will Tendi.
Host: Rachel Dratch
Co-host: Irene Bremis
Guest: Matthew Lillard
Release Date: December 3, 2025
This episode welcomes beloved actor Matthew Lillard for a wide-ranging, lively conversation. While ostensibly promoting his return in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, the chat dives deep into the intersection of horror and comedy in film, the psychological underpinnings of being funny, the realities of life as a working actor, and several “woo woo” (unexplained) experiences—ranging from tarot card readings to Dungeons & Dragons fandom, and stories of psychic mediums. With plenty of humor, candor, and camaraderie, the episode will especially resonate with fans of genre movies, fellow “nerds,” and those curious about the ups and downs of creative careers.
[02:22–05:12]
[09:16–11:54]
[12:23–17:22]
[19:50–26:44]
[29:37–35:34]
Rachel presses Matthew on his “woo woo” experiences.
Matthew’s Tarot Card Story:
Medium Encounters & Stories:
[42:16–44:49]
[45:00–47:06]
“You become funny because shit sometimes is hard as a teenager.”
— Matthew Lillard [09:33]
“When you get [horror-comedy] right, it’s incredible. ... When you sort of cheese out and try, you know, comedy’s hard.”
— Matthew Lillard [04:55]
“Even in all the success... there’s a real imposter syndrome.”
— Matthew Lillard [15:35]
“The reality of our lives is way more interesting than the perceived life that we live.”
— Matthew Lillard [16:02]
“We see people in their fandom and build something for them in the thing that they hold dear.”
— Matthew Lillard [25:00]
“I wish I did [have a crazy psychic experience]. I did have this thing where... I’m scared to talk about it because it really freaks me out.”
— Matthew Lillard [29:49]
“He gave me this... this beautiful story about Wes Craven and having deeper belief in me than I’ve had in myself.”
— Matthew Lillard [44:17]
The episode is playful, candid, and emotionally resonant—a blend of comedy, sincerity, and affectionate nerdiness. The trio freely riffs about creativity, fear, ambition, self-doubt, and the often very “normal” reality behind perceived celebrity lives. The “woo woo” stories are both debunked and enjoyed, with plenty of warmth for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider or found kinship through laughter, fantasy, or spooky tales.
Recommended for: Fans of horror/comedy films, creators feeling imposter syndrome, D&D enthusiasts, and anyone who appreciates honest, funny, thoughtful conversations.