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Matthew Lillard calls Quentin Tarantino criticism “bummer” that felt like being “punched in the mouth”
Entertainment•February 24, 2026 at 12:16 PMNational

Matthew Lillard calls Quentin Tarantino criticism “bummer” that felt like being “punched in the mouth”

By Victoria Luxford•NME Music News

The 'Scream' actor was one of three stars criticised by the director The post Matthew Lillard calls Quentin Tarantino criticism “bummer” that felt like being “punched in the mouth” appeared first on NME.

Matthew Lillard has spoken about how Quentin Tarantino’s comments about his work affected him, as well as his appreciation for the support he’s received since.

The Pulp Fiction director made headlines in December appearing on the Bret Easton Ellis podcast, initially talking about his dislike of actor Paul Dano. “I don’t care for him” he said of the There Will Be Blood actor, before bringing in other actors he doesn’t like. “I don’t care for Owen Wilson, I don’t care for Matthew Lillard.” he added.

Dano didn’t respond to the criticism, although he received support from many figures within Hollywood. Lillard initially commented that his remarks “hurt”, while questioning whether the filmmaker would have made those same remarks about a more prominent actor such as Tom Cruise.

Matthew Lillard addresses Quentin Tarantino criticizing his acting: "It hurts your feelings. It f—in' 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."
byu/mcfw31 inpopculturechat

Now, in an interview with People, the Scream actor has reflected on the incident, saying Tarantino’s comments hurt because he would “love” to be in one of his movies. “I think he’s a lovely filmmaker,” he said, “and to just sort of get punched in the mouth just was kind of a bummer.”

On the plus side, he said the support he has received in the time since, both from fans and people within the film industry, has been wonderful. “It felt like I had died and was in heaven watching everyone send out their RIP tweets” he enthused.

“I mean, it was really being a part of your own wake, sort of sitting there living through all the nice things people say after you die. 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.”

Paul Dano also recently expressed his appreciation for people’s support in the wake of Tarantino’s comments, saying he was “incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me so I didn’t have to.”

The post Matthew Lillard calls Quentin Tarantino criticism “bummer” that felt like being “punched in the mouth” appeared first on NME.

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