Matthew Lillard Gets Honest on Harsh Quentin Tarantino Diss: "It Felt Like I Had Died"

• Primary Subject: Matthew Lillard's Reaction to Quentin Tarantino's Viral Criticism
• Key Update: Matthew Lillard admitted in a recent interview with People that Quentin Tarantino's unprovoked criticism felt like a "punch in the mouth," but ultimately led to a heartwarming wave of support from industry peers.
• Status: Confirmed
• Last Verified: February 24, 2026
• Quick Answer: Matthew Lillard responded to Quentin Tarantino's "cruel" criticism by acknowledging that it "sucked", while expressing gratitude for the public support he received from George Clooney, James Gunn, and Mike Flanagan.

Quentin Tarantino did not hold back on his harsh criticisms of countless celebrities, including Matthew Lillard, whom the Pulp Fiction director claims he didn't "care for" alongside fellow actors Paul Dano and Owen Wilson. The Scream star Matthew Lillard, however, saw the trending diss in a different light.

How Matthew Lillard Responded to Quentin Tarantino's Harsh Diss

Credit: Dimension Films | Miramax Films

While on The Bret Easton Ellis podcast, 62-year-old Tarantino said he "didn't care for" Paul Dano, initially, before adding Lillard to his list: "I'm not saying he's giving a terrible performance. I'm saying he's giving a non-entity [performance]. I don't care for him. I don't care for Owen Wilson, I don't care for Matthew Lillard."

In a new interview with People, Lillard admits that the recent comment criticizing his acting was not something he expected from a director he adored, "It felt like I had died and was in heaven watching everyone send out their RIP tweets."

Lillard added that Tarantino's words especially hurt, considering he would 'love' to be in one of his films, "I think he's a lovely filmmaker, and to just sort of get punched in the mouth just was kind of a bummer."

But who would've thought that Tarantino's diss would eventually bloom into Lillard's bliss?

The Five Nights at Freddy's star had previously responded and went viral for his no-filter quote at GalaxyCon Columbus, saying, "Eh, whatever. Who gives a sh**. The point is that it hurts your feelings. It f***ing sucks. And you wouldn't say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldn't say that to somebody who's a top-line actor in Hollywood."

Other Hollywood Celebrities That Came to the Scream Star's Defense

Credit: Dimension Films | Miramax Films

But that's not all Lillard had to celebrate after going viral and for giving his candid response to the Oscar-winning director. If anything, it earned respect and defense from his fellow Hollywood actors, such as George Clooney, James Gunn, and Mike Flanagan.

"Everyone, from the people at the mall this weekend with my kids to George Clooney and James Gunn and Mike Flanagan, I mean, people have sort of been really generous with telling me how much they loved me and liked my work," Lillard recalled.

Gunn, who worked with Lillard on the Scooby Doo movies, called him "one of my favorite guys (and actors)" on social media. Clooney said he would be honored to work with any of the actors Tarantino criticized. Flanagan — who has cast Lillard in plenty of his films, including The Life of Chuck and the Amazon adaptation series for Carrie — gave his own statement by calling him "the goddamn greatest."Meanwhile, fans can expect Matthew Lillard's next appearance in Scream 7, where he reprises his role from the franchise's first film as Stu Macher.Keep it locked on Epicstream.com, the best source for film, TV, and celebrity coverage!