Men's Lifestyle February 26, 2026 0 Comments

Matthew Lillard’s Shocking Transformation Proves He’s Still the Ultimate Scream King—You Won’t Believe What He’s Up to Now!

Ever wonder what happens when a horror icon turns his knack for mayhem into a vodka brand? Picture this: Matthew Lillard, yes—the guy behind the first-ever Ghostface killer Stu Macher—spending hours on end signing Ghost Face Vodka labels, grinning the whole time like it’s all just a thrilling act of mischief. At 56, he’s not just revisiting his ‘90s slasher roots with the upcoming Scream 7, but blending his passion for horror with a dash of business savvy—launching a vodka that’s as smooth as it is spooky. It’s like the perfect storm of nostalgia and entrepreneurship, wrapped up in a mask we all love to fear. What’s it really like stepping back into the Ghostface mask after all these years? And just how does one craft a collectible spirit that captures that eerie vibe? Stick around—I’ve got the scoop from Lillard himself on the eerie allure of horror, the surprises buried in Scream’s past, and yes—his ideal martini, shaken not stirred. LEARN MORE

Matthew Lillard is in the middle of signing a roll of Ghost Face Vodka labels. To his right is a stack bearing his autographs. To his left? A massive pack of labels, still waiting for his personal touch. “I’ve literally been signing for, like, hours now,” the 56-year-old actor tells me over Zoom, his smile never waning. “It’s been crazy.”

Thankfully, it’s all in the name of good business. Lillard is welcoming the release of his new vodka—which, yes, bears the mask of the iconic slasher villain—and Scream 7, which hits theaters Friday. While his role is under wraps, Lillard will surely reprise his turn as the first-ever Ghostface killer, Stu Macher, last seen in 1996’s Scream. Although Lillard is slyly tight-lipped about how his character will manifest in the seventh installment of the slasher series, he was able to divulge some decades-old Scream spoilers. “Back then, nobody ever assumed for one second that it was going to be anything else other than just another ’90s horror film,” he says.

Scream 7 is only the latest project from the bona fide scream king, who has returned to reclaim his throne in the renaissance of the horror genre. In between keeping the legacy of his now-iconic portrayal of Shaggy Rogers alive with consistent voice-acting work in Scooby-Doo movies, Lillard has made his comeback to the genre that made him famous. The success of Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023), in which Lillard portrayed the mysterious figure behind the evil animatronics, spurred a sequel last year that earned more than $239 million at the box office. He’ll also star in horror auteur Mike Flanagan’s Carrie television adaptation, which will premiere on Prime Video in October 2026.

Off-screen, Lillard (through his brand, Find Familiar Spirits) has codified his passions into Ghost Face Vodka, which launched on February 9. Aside from Ghostface’s mean mug, it features the smooth potato vodka that the Macabre Spirits brand is known for. “We’re going to bring it into stores this spooky season and become a staple during the Halloween season,” Lillard promises.

Below, Lillard spills about the time he first donned the Ghostface mask, how he likes his martinis, and which directors he’d like to work with next.

Andreas Branch

ESQUIRE: Do you remember a favorite scene from shooting the original Scream?

MATTHEW LILLARD: Without a doubt, that last sequence where everyone’s in the kitchen and the whole movie’s playing out. That’s an unforgettable moment, not only for the film but in my career. That was a 21-day shoot in that kitchen. The memory I remember most about that is going to work every day at 6:00 p.m. and working until 6:00 in the morning and having to ramp up every single time you go back into the work. We shot on film. We had one camera. When you’re shooting on film, you need lots of light. You would get into a sequence where [Skeet Ulrich] would stab me, then we would stop everything, move lights and cameras, change angles, and then we’d do it again. Having to stay in that place emotionally was intense. If you don’t have a great director, the scene can fall apart.

This is an old spoiler now, but was Stu behind Tatum’s murder in the garage?

The reality is that we don’t really know. At the 25th anniversary of Scream, [writer] Kevin Williamson and I hosted a screening together. It’s actually the first time my wife had ever seen the film. She doesn’t like horror movies. And she’s like, “I don’t need to see it. I’m good.” So the question came up: Who killed who? The reality was that nobody really was that concerned about it. Back then, nobody ever assumed for one second that it was going to be anything else other than just another ’90s horror film. [It was] a genre that was petering out. Wes Craven’s career had stalled a bit. We didn’t need to immortalize these decisions. It just never crossed our minds. I would assume that I was behind the Tatum murder, but that’s just my assumption.

Nobody assumed for one second that [Scream] was going to be anything else other than just a ’90s horror film.

Were you excited to see the Scream 7 trailer during the Super Bowl?

I went to the Super Bowl. I’m a big fan of the Seahawks. I took my wife and my son and his best friend. Go Hawks. This is good news for fans that Paramount and Spyglass are putting money behind the promotion of the film. That’s a good sign that they’re very confident that the film is worthy of that investment. I heard the movie’s great. But I haven’t seen it yet. I do know where it’s going and how it gets there, so the reveal will not be that interesting [to me].

When you originally put on the Ghostface mask while filming Scream, did it get you in character?

It’s funny. I only wore the mask once in the film. So we had a stuntman, because I’m six-foot-four and Skeet’s not. We had a guy that was in between our height, so that people can never go, “Oh, that guy’s definitely Matt, or it’s definitely Skeet.” So I only put it on one time. There’s a scene where Jamie Kennedy is watching Jamie Lee Curtis on the TV, and I walked behind the couch in that scene.

You’ve worked with an amazing lineup of directors already in your life, including David Lynch, John Waters, Mike Flanagan, and Wes Craven. Are there any other directors that you would love to work with?

James Gunn wrote Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo 2. I love his films. I love him as a person. He’s a friend of mine. So I’m waiting for the opportunity to work with James. I’m hopeful that will come sooner rather than later. As an actor, you’re always wanting to work with people that are making the films of the moment, like Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve. Dune is my comfort movie. I fly twice a week. If the flight is long enough, I will turn on Dune, wherever I left off last, and load back into it. He’s an incredible filmmaker.

Did you like David Lynch’s Dune?

I did not love David Lynch’s Dune. That may be blasphemous, I know. He was a very specific flavor of filmmaker, and sometimes I thought he was great and sometimes I thought he’s a little cuckoo-banana. But he was really a beautiful person and an incredible leader. I did love working with him. But it’s not so much the filmmaker—it’s really the part and it’s really the cast for an actor. Being surrounded by great storytellers and having something to do in that process. Having a part that has weight in that storytelling process is what’s really exciting.

Tell me about your Daredevil character, Mr. Charles.

I play this guy who lives in the MCU now. He’s a guy who is influencing nations. He’s at the right hand of leaders in the world, and he’s working as an agent of change, either for good or for bad. That’s yet to be determined. He’s a super-fun character. He’s really wacky. I like to add my own flavor to stuff, and they gave me a lot of freedom. For that I’m eternally grateful.

I’m really excited for Mike Flanagan’s Carrie adaptation.

It’s so dope. It’s ridiculous. I always felt like that story had a lot more to delve into than the movies could get to. I will say that working with Mike Flanagan is great. I saw the first three episodes, and people are going to lose their minds. He’s one of the best storytellers around right now. When you’re dealing with teenage kids and you’re dealing with bullying, you grow to have empathy for these characters. As Carrie grows into her own power and the things start happening around her, the more you’re invested in her journey.

Are you a big Stephen King fan?

Stephen King is the first book I ever read. I read Christine about the possessed car. My mom turned me on to it. My mom had a standing edict that any time we walked into a bookstore, I could buy any book I wanted. I took advantage of that my whole life, so we read a lot. I love him and he wrote Life of Chuck, which is a movie I was in this last year directed by Mike Flanagan. He wrote that novella. Being a part of his world doing that movie and having a chance to be a part of Carrie is really exciting.

What’s the story behind Ghost Face Vodka?

We worked with an incredible group out of Savannah called the Shepherd Agency to design the bottle. They do really cutting-edge stuff. You know it’s going to be Ghostface, but how does that translate onto the bottle? What’s going to make it sexy and exciting? What’s going to pop when you’re walking down the aisle during spooky season? We had originally planned to sell 2,000 units in the first 72 hours. But we had over 40,000 people sign up.

We work with a company called Manifest out of Jacksonville, Florida. They make my favorite vodka. It’s a non-GMO potato vodka out of Germany. It gives you less headaches and less impurities. We’re going to really experiment with cool flavor profiles too.

Are you a vodka drinker? What’s your favorite vodka cocktail?

I’m a vodka guy when it comes to martinis. But I’m a tequila guy the rest of the time.

How do you like your martinis? I feel like that says a lot about a person.

Oh, I like my martinis filthy. And then I’m really prudent. I’ll have them put the blue-cheese olives on the side, because I don’t want to displace my vodka. That little cup is not enough to fit six or four olives for a grown-ass man. I’m like, Do not put olives in there. Take it to the rim. I like it when you serve that little shaker on the side. That’s a highlight.

I’m a big dirty vodka martini fan too.

We’re so sophisticated, right? You should chase what you want. Drink what you want, however you want to.

Andreas Branch

With Ghost Face Vodka, Lillard has codified his passions into a collectible (and, of course, consumable) product for fans.

I have a theory that everyone has an early vodka-drinking memory, because it’s one of the first spirits that people start with. What’s your earliest vodka-drinking memory?

Unfortunately, it was my senior prom. I was way too young to be drinking vodka. That showed at the end of the night, as I was puking out the side of the limo.

What’s a good drinking game to play with Ghost Face Vodka?

I’m so glad you asked. With Find Familiar Spirits, we like to build spirit experiences around fandoms. We never want to be a company that just transacts on your passion. With Ghost Face, we created a game. It’s on the back label. When everyone sits down at the table and you’re drinking Ghost Face Vodka, you hit that QR code. That QR code will load you into the game Mafia. You pick a character, and then all of a sudden you start playing Mafia. As you bring people around, you get to hang out, you get to play a game, and it becomes communal. The game is called Killer Bash. It’ll be great to play after you watch Scream.