Matthew Lillard stole The Life of Chuck with a one-scene performance, which makes one of his upcoming roles even more intriguing. The 2025 movie, which was written and directed by Mike Flanagan, is adapted from the 2020 Stephen King novella of the same name and follows the life and death of ordinary accountant Chuck Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) in three acts, moving backward through time. It marks Flanagan’s third adaptation of the prolific author’s work. He previously helmed 2017’s Gerald’s Game and the 2019 movie Doctor Sleep, which was a sequel to The Shining.
Prior to The Life of Chuck, some of the most notable Matthew Lillard movies were horror hits, as he played Stu Macher in 1996’s Scream (a role that he will reprise in the upcoming Scream 7) and William Afton in 2023’s Five Nights at Freddy’s. However, he has also starred in a number of teen movies such as She’s All That, SLC Punk, and The Perfect Score, played Shaggy in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies and a number of animated projects that followed, and appeared in many other notable movies including The Descendants, Trouble with the Curve, and Without a Paddle.
Why Matthew Lillard’s Role In The Life Of Chuck Is So Great
He Elevates An Early Scene In The Stephen King Movie
Matthew Lillard’s role in the Life of Chuck cast is quite small, as he plays one of the many characters who cycle in and out of the movie in brief moments to emphasize the many small ways that Chuck’s life had a major impact on the world around him. Specifically, he plays Gus Wilfong, a city maintenance worker in Act 3 (which opens the movie) who delivers a monologue about the mysterious apocalyptic event that is plaguing the Earth in that part of the story.
The mᴀssive ensemble cast of The Life of Chuck also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Jacob Tremblay, Carl Lumbly, and Nick Offerman.
Lillard’s performance is such a standout because he opens the scene with his standard down-to-earth charm as Gus begins chatting with his neighbor, high school teacher Marty (Ejiofor). At first, his discussion about the apocalypse sounds as casual as a neighbor discussing the weather, but as he walks Marty through his own experience and the events of the world around them, he slowly and subtly begins to break down. It is a profound moment that turns an expository scene into an emotional journey.
Matthew Lillard Is Reuniting With Mike Flanagan After The Life Of Chuck For Another Stephen King Adaptation
Flanagan Typically Works With Actors Multiple Times
Mike Flanagan has made a habit of working with the same pool of actors multiple times, and, in fact, The Life of Chuck features many of his recurring players, including The Haunting of Hill House‘s Samantha Sloyan, Violet McGraw, and Kate Siegel, Midnight Mᴀss‘ Rahul Kohli and Michael Trucco, and The Fall of the House of Usher‘s Carl Lumbly and Mark Hamill. While Chuck was Matthew Lillard’s first appearance in a Flanagan project, the actor has since been cast in his upcoming Carrie TV show, which is one of two Stephen King тιтles he is working on adapting for television.
Flanagan has the rights to adapt Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, though that project is still in a very early stage of development.
Lillard is set to play Principal Grayle in the project, which stars Summer H. Howell as the тιтular telekinetic teen alongside other returning Flanagan stars including Samantha Sloyan (as Carrie’s mother Margaret White), Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli, and Michael Trucco. Principal Grayle is a minor character in the novel who has never before appeared onscreen, as the previous three film adaptations have all elevated vice principal Mr. Morton (Stefan Gierasch in 1976, Laurie Murdoch in 2002, and Barry Shabaka Henley in 2013) to the position of principal.
I Hope Matthew Lillard Becomes Another Mike Flanagan Regular After The Life Of Chuck
His Carrie Role Seems Promising
The role of Principal Grayle will probably be slightly expanded in the series, given the show’s ability to explore the original novel in a deeper way, thanks to having a run time longer than that of a feature. This will most likely give Lillard another chance to deliver a stellar performance in a Mike Flanagan project. Hopefully, this cements Lillard as one of Mike Flanagan’s go-to actors after The Life of Chuck, giving the star even more meaty roles in the future that will allow him to show off his range as often as possible.
