Who Plays William Afton in the Five Nights at Freddy's? Who is Matthew Lillard?
by Kavitha
Updated Oct 30, 2023
Five Nights at Freddy's
Five Nights at Freddy's is a scary movie that came out in 2023. It's based on a video game created by Scott Cawthon. The movie is directed by Emma Tammi and written by Scott Cawthon, Seth Cuddeback, and Emma Tammi. It stars Josh Hutcherson as a security guard who takes a job at an old family entertainment center. He soon finds out that the animatronic mascots at the center come to life and can be dangerous. Other actors in the movie include Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Matthew Lillard.
The movie had a long journey to make. It was originally going to be made by Warner Bros. Pictures, but after some delays, that didn't happen. Jason Blum's Blumhouse Productions took over and Chris Columbus was supposed to direct, but he left the project. Emma Tammi was announced as the new director in 2022. The main cast was confirmed in December, and they started filming in February 2023 in New Orleans.
Five Nights at Freddy's was first released on the streaming service Peacock on October 26, 2023, and then it came to theaters on October 27. Even though critics didn't like it much, the movie did really well at the box office. It made over $130 million worldwide, even though it only cost $20 million to make. That's a big success for Blumhouse Productions.
Who Plays William Afton in the Five Nights at Freddy's?
In the Five Nights at Freddy's movie, released on October 27, 2023, the character of William Afton, a notorious serial killer and a central antagonist, was portrayed by Matthew Lillard. Lillard, renowned for his roles in Scooby-Doo and Scream, brought his extensive acting experience to the film. Although officially cast as "Steve Raglan," fans universally recognized him as William Afton due to his impressive performance.
The movie, highly anticipated by fans of the franchise, explored the intricate world of Five Nights at Freddy's. Lillard's portrayal of William Afton added depth and intensity to the character, becoming a standout element of the film. His ability to embody the complexity of Afton's character captivated audiences, bringing the iconic video game villain to life in a compelling way. As the film delved into the horror-filled universe of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, Lillard's past tense performance as William Afton remains a significant highlight of the movie, leaving a lasting impression on viewers.
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Who is Matthew Lillard?
Matthew Lillard, born on January 24, 1970, in Lansing, Michigan, is an American actor. He has been in the movie business since 1990. Some of his early films include roles like Chip Sutphin in "Serial Mom" (1994), Stu Macher in "Scream" (1996), and Shaggy Rogers in the "Scooby-Doo" movies.
He's known for being the voice of Shaggy in the animated "Scooby-Doo" series. Besides comedy, he has also done serious roles in movies like "The Descendants" (2011) and "Trouble with the Curve" (2012). In 2023, he was part of the movie "Five Nights at Freddy's." Lillard also directed a film called "Fat Kid Rules the World" in 2012. He has a wife named Heather Helm, and they have three children.
Full Name
Matthew Lyn Lillard
Date of Birth
January 24, 1970
Place of Birth
Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Education
Fullerton College, American Academy of Dramatic Arts
Occupations
Actor, Director
Years Active
1990–present
Spouse
Heather Helm (married in 2000)
Children
3
Recent Projects
Portrayed William Afton in the Five Nights at Freddy's movie (2023), appeared in Mike Flanagan's "The Life of Chuck" (2023)
Matthew Lillard Career
Matthew Lillard is an American actor with a career spanning many years. After high school, he started by co-hosting a TV show called SK8-TV. He got his first acting job as an extra in "Ghoulies 3: Ghoulies Go to College" in 1991.
In 1994, Lillard got his big break in John Waters' dark comedy, "Serial Mom." The following year, he appeared in five different movies, including "Hackers," a thriller about high school kids dealing with a big money scheme. He's also known for playing Stu Macher in the horror film "Scream" (1996) and for his role as Stevo in the indie film "SLC Punk!" He played Dennis Rafkin in "Thirteen Ghosts" (2001).
One of his most famous roles is as Shaggy in the live-action "Scooby-Doo" movie in 2002 and its sequel in 2004. He continued to voice Shaggy in various animated series and films after the original voice actor retired. Although he didn't voice Shaggy in the 2020 Scooby-Doo reboot, he wished the new version success.
Lillard has also appeared in TV series like "House" and "Criminal Minds" and directed his first film, "Fat Kid Rules the World," in 2011. He did more serious roles in films like "The Descendants" (2011) and starred in "Twin Peaks" (2017) and "Good Girls" (2018-2021).
In 2022, he joined the cast of the live-action Five Nights at Freddy's movie, and in 2023, he was cast in Mike Flanagan's project, "The Life of Chuck." Matthew Lillard's career is full of diverse roles and achievements in the entertainment industry.
Five Nights at Freddy's Plot
In the movie "Five Nights at Freddy's," there's an old place called Freddy Fazbear's Pizza with animatronic characters. A man gets killed by one of these animatronics. Then we meet Mike Schmidt, a security guard, who starts working at the pizza place to keep custody of his sister Abby.
Strange things start happening. Mike dreams about his brother's kidnapping and meets ghost children in his dreams. These kids were murdered at the restaurant years ago. The animatronics come to life and attack people, and Mike's sister Abby gets involved.
Mike discovers that the animatronics are haunted by these kids' spirits. He also finds out that his boss, Vanessa, is the daughter of the man who killed the kids. Vanessa helps Mike, but things get really dangerous when the killer comes back.
With Abby's bravery and a drawing she made, they make the animatronics understand the truth about the killer. The animatronics turn on the killer, saving Mike and Abby. Vanessa gets hurt but survives, and they all escape. In the end, Mike takes care of Abby, and they try to move on with their lives. But in a mysterious message during the credits, someone challenges them to find them.
Five Nights at Freddy's Cast
The tabular column below represents the cast list for Five Nights at Freddy’s
Josh Hutcherson
Mike Schmidt
Wyatt Parker
Young Mike
Piper Rubio
Abby
Elizabeth Lail
Vanessa Shelly
Matthew Lillard
Steve Raglan / William Afton
Mary Stuart Masterson
Aunt Jane
Kat Conner Sterling
Max
David Lind
Jeff
Christian Stokes
Hank
Joseph Poliquin
Carl
Grant Feely
Ghost Kid (Blonde Boy)
Asher Colton Spence
Ghost Kid (With Hook)
David Houston Doty
Ghost Kid (With Bunny Ears)
Liam Hendrix
Ghost Kid (With Hat)
Jophielle Love
Ghost Kid (Blue-Eyed Girl)
Tadasay Young
Dr. Lillian
Michael P. Sullivan
Doug
Lucas Grant
Garrett
Theodus Crane
Jeremiah
Matthew Patrick
Sparky's Diner waiter
CoryxKenshin
Cabbie
Kevin Foster
Freddy Fazbear (suit performer)
Jade Kindar-Martin
Bonnie (suit performer)
Jessica Weiss
Chica (suit performer)
Kellen Goff
Foxy (singing voice performer)
Actor
Character
Five Nights at Freddy's Trailer
Who Plays William Afton in the Five Nights at Freddy's? - FAQ
The movie was released on October 27, 2023.
Matthew Lillard portrays William Afton in the movie.
The movie follows a security guard, Mike Schmidt, working at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, where haunted animatronics come to life, leading to a series of chilling events.
Blumhouse Productions is the production company responsible for the movie.
Despite mixed critical reviews, the movie was a box office success, earning over $130 million worldwide against its $20 million budget.