Matthew Lillard Joins Season 2 of “Cross”

Matthew Lillard has recently been cast as billionaire Lance in the second season of Prime Video’s hit show “Cross.”

Reflecting on his journey, Lillard shared that he has been acting since he was 14. “I found what I love to do and have done it my whole life,” he told the Post. “I have the privilege of having such conviction and clarity about who I am and what I want to do. I share that with Lance.”

Known for his iconic roles in “Scream,” “Scooby-Doo,” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” Lillard describes himself as a “blue collar actor.” Despite his success, he mentioned that joining “Cross” felt like a challenge. “There’s something really appealing about coming in and fighting for a job,” he remarked.

Interestingly, Lillard admitted he didn’t anticipate “Cross” would achieve success since the first season didn’t even have a trailer at the time of his audition. “So this was a huge hit show, and I was lucky enough to be a part of season two,” he noted.

“Cross” is based on the well-known Alex Cross series by James Patterson and follows homicide detective Alex Cross, played by Aldis Hodge, who also serves as an executive producer. The show, set in Washington, D.C., tracks vigilantes targeting billionaires like Lance in its second season.

Lillard described the experience of joining a show after its initial run as somewhat daunting: “Sometimes you want to go to someone else’s Thanksgiving dinner even though you’re a guest. You don’t know the traditions, you don’t know the inside jokes, you don’t know the cast and crew.” However, he found that Hodge and showrunner Ben Watkins have fostered a welcoming atmosphere on set.

It’s been a busy year for Lillard. Besides “Cross,” he will appear in Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of “Carrie” for Prime Video, which updates the story to modern times. He teased that the portrayal of bullying has evolved since the original story’s 1980s context.

Additionally, Lillard will be joining Disney+’s “Daredevil: Born Again” in Season 2 and is set to return to the “Scream” series in the upcoming “Scream 7,” which premieres on February 27. This is quite intriguing since his character, Stu, was presumed dead in the first movie back in 1996.

When original writer Kevin Williamson called him about reprising Stu, Lillard expressed his exhilaration: “I was over the moon. I was giddy with excitement. For the last 20 years or so, I’ve been gently playing the argument that Stu is still alive.” While he hasn’t seen the new movie yet, he has a good idea of what unfolds. “And the funny thing is, I haven’t told anyone about it,” he added with a grin. “I’m very sneaky when it comes to telling secrets, so the fact that I’ve kept this a secret is pretty remarkable!”