Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Lillard reflected on the reaction that followed a viral interview Tarantino gave last fall on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast. During that appearance, Tarantino dismissed Lillard, Paul Dano, and Owen Wilson, calling Dano “the weakest f—ing actor in SAG” and saying he did not care for Lillard or Wilson.
“It was like living through your own wake,” Lillard said. He explained that social media quickly filled with posts praising his career, similar to the tributes that often appear after someone dies. “All those R.I.P. emails or tweets and Instagram posts and TikToks … were so sweet. I just got to live through all of it firsthand — alive and kicking.”
Lillard said the response meant a great deal to him personally. “It was crazy. I keep showing it to my wife to convince her that I am worthy, that people still like me,” he said. While acknowledging that not everyone has to like his work, Lillard said the outpouring of support was “beautiful.”
Several well-known filmmakers publicly defended Lillard after Tarantino’s comments spread online. Mike Flanagan, who directed Lillard in The Life of Chuck and cast him in an upcoming Carrie series reboot, called him “the goddamn greatest.” James Gunn, who worked with Lillard on the Scooby-Doo movies, described him as “one of my favorite guys (and actors).” George Clooney also weighed in, saying earlier this year that he would be honored to work with any of the actors Tarantino criticized.
Dano also received strong support. Speaking to Variety, he said it was “really nice” to see people speak up on his behalf, adding that he was grateful he did not have to defend himself.
Lillard previously addressed Tarantino’s remarks at GalaxyCon in Columbus, Ohio. While he said comments like those hurt, he added, “Who gives a s—? You wouldn’t say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldn’t say that to somebody who’s a top-line actor in Hollywood.”
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