10 Massively Underrated 1990s Movie Performances

Okay look, you can take your pick on this one. Matthew Lillard has been consistently underrated throughout his career, which is nearing three decades this year. The goofy character actor has been a reliably funny, nervy, and often intense presence throughout projects as diverse as Twin Peaks: The Return and Without a Paddle.

And that’s not mentioning his definitive portrayal of Orville “Shaggy” Rogers in countless iterations of the Scooby Doo franchise, a role he lost without warning over last summer, prompting outrage among the show’s considerable fandom.

The best distillation of what Lillard brings to an ensemble cast can be seen in 1996’s Scream, Wes Craven’s meta-slasher masterpiece. The lanky, loose-limbed goofball charms throughout the film, gurning his way through one-liners whilst simultaneously maintaining a constant edge of seething rage just below his placid, grinning surface.

The actor also went above and beyond for the role, improvising the iconic line “I always had a thing for ya, Sid!” during the tense closing chase—as well as unintentionally improvising the equally iconic “You hit me with a phone—Dick!” when co-star Skeet Ulrich accidentally smacked him with a landline during filming. Impeccable instincts.