"Talent Show: Matthew Lillard"

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Teen People June/July 1999

As a scene stealer, Scream stand-out Matthew Lillard is no petty thief: He goes for grand larceny. "When I was young, I wasn't good at sports, or a great student," says the Michigan native. "But I could charm the pants off of people and make them laugh."

Matt eventually was able to make a career out of cutting up. He waited tables to pay his way through New York's Circle in the Square Theatre School, then headed west and landed parts in such movies as Mad Love, Serial Mom, Hackers and Senseless.

Now 28 and newly single(his two-year relationship with Neve Campbell recently ended), the actor can be seen co-starring in this fall's reality-based '70's drama Without Limits. But he's most excited about "playing out a childhood fantasy" to act in a sci-fi space thriller: the upcoming Wing Commander, based on the popular CD-ROM game. Coincidentally, Matt first encountered--and bonded with--his Wing costar Freddie Prinze Jr. at this photo shoot. "I felt like I was on a first date," jokes Matt, who likens movie-making to "a marriage that has a built-in divorce: You spend so much time together, but at the end you're meant to be apart."