Matthew Lillard talks about the stress of working on Twin Peaks

Matthew Lillard’s performance as the accused murderer Bill Hastings was a welcome addition to Twin Peaks: The Return, but according to Lillard, filming his part was extremely challenging. At the Sundance premiere of his latest project, Halfway There, we talked to Lillard about his experience being a part of Twin Peaks and working with David Lynch.

[@kmsharley75]

Lillard absolutely KILLED IT in this. Excellent work,and definitely Twin Peaks worthy!

[@declanmcdonnell6965]

How do you know he didn't just do the great work on his own?

[@bjrnb9042]

i was also about to use the words KILLED IT... dud nailed it. simple as dat... he totally acted like an insane person

[@CNWhatImSaiyan]

kmsharley75 I loved him in Law and Order, as well!

[@johnsweeney1449]

kmsharley75 x

[@Chrisratata]

He really did. That first episode really had me looking forward to seeing way way more of his character and that plot line

[@ATeaDaze]

I love the fact that Hastings literally screams, "*You don't know! You weren't there!*", and Lillard had no context himself. He nailed that scene

[@DimitriDelCastillo]

This is the part that seals for me. The man was so lost in what he was saying that he had no idea how impossible the things he was describing were. The moment he realized this, he reflected and had a childish outburst in response. Whether scripted or not, this was a true spontaneous moment the way the actor portrayed it. Much respect for Lillard.

[@Spencer-op5fr]

I love how none of the actors or producers aside from Lynch knew what the hell was going on when they made The Return.

[@ThisIsDarknessZine]

They probably still don't :D

[@Owwwowowowoow]

And Dern & Maclachlan! IIRC they were the only actors who got the full script

[@reguluspastor]

And ofc Frost.

[@marcuscross8051]

Sometimes I wonder whether David Lynch even really knows

[@HOTD108_]

Someone should make a complication video of all the times the cast and crew said they had no clue what was going on, ending with a clip of Lynch refusing to explain himself.

[@designerlarry]

This was one of the defining moments of the return.

[@ChollieD]

Yeah, I agree, it's one of the best scenes in it. Definitely a highlight.

[@benconnor3206]

Larry Fulmer amen! Master acting and a key of sorts to some answers

[@shirleysonsproductions6187]

I WANNA GO SCUBA DIVING

[@Jackp2003]

@TETCOM Yes, absolutely. My favorite line from that scene is “It’s a shit story, isn’t Hawk” or something like that.

[@shards0fwords]

He was fantastic. I JUST WANNA GO SCUBA DIVING

[@ice_fox]

I'd never seen Matthew's frantic, manic energy refocused from silly/absurd (most of his roles) to pure, almost childlike terror. Very impressive, and completely believable performance.

[@michaeldebellis4202]

I actually had no idea it was him, until I saw this. Honestly, I never thought he was much of an actor but he was amazing.

[@JamesPawson]

His performance was actually excellent, he should be proud.

[@scottbaker4534]

Matthew Lillard rose to new heights in my opinion. The interrogation /breakdown scene to which he refers was perhaps the best piece of acting in the entire season. He played it so well, I forgot, for a moment, that he played Shaggy in the Scooby Doo live action fiasco. Looking at all the other positive comments in this thread, I think he owes David Lynch a huge debt, as we owe him for that magnificent performance. Looking again, I can say I've never seen so many positive comments for an actor in a comment section. Not that any of us should need validation of our opinions, but there's quite a lot to be had here. Matthew, I hope you see this. Few actors get this kind of blanket approval of a performance. Absorb it.

[@scottbaker4534]

If I could sit with Matthew and review this interview with him, I would ask him why it was so hard for him to choke out a self-appreciative comment for his performance. You clearly suffered tp create this scene. It showed. The scene called for a man suffering beyond reason. It wraps around you and informs your performance to create a moment no one who loves this series can ever forget. Thank you, Matthew.

[@RayzaNC]

He absolutely killed it, great performance. Seems a bit weird he wouldn't bother watching the previous seasons though?

[@PyramidHACK]

After watching Mulholland Drive, I can't help but wonder about crazy Hollywood and cases like what you mention.

[@blueoystercultforevs]

Honestly, I love the first season of Twin Peaks, but I cannot get through the second season. I would like to, so that I can watch this new season, but it just becomes too meandering for me.

[@JohannesWiberg]

@@blueoystercultforevs Some episodes of season 2 are weird but some are great so just stick to it and you'll get rewarded. As long as you don't expect season 1 again. That's even more important for season 3; it's great, even amazing in parts, but not if you're expecting a "straight" continuation of earlier seasons. Lynch is not generous in that way.

[@Reclaimer-eo1tl]

@@blueoystercultforevs Binged the whole series for the first time recently. Trust me, I don’t think Lynch cares whether you see the entirety of Season 2 or not. The new season almost feels like commentary on the concept of TV revivals and how uninteresting they are by nature, so the show deliberately finds ways to force feed you content that feels like it has nothing to do with Twin Peaks. I don’t want to say anymore because I did actually enjoy it for what it was, but believe me when I say that the only Twin Peaks content relevant to the new season is the stuff that David Lynch directed himself. Like 5 episodes of the OG series and the movie Fire Walk with Me

[@spellywelly]

@@Reclaimer-eo1tl I think you’re right and he plays with that. He plays with _us_ but in the end, the messages are so deep and complex it becomes a fascination. Nineteen weeks he made me wait for the moment I’d been waiting for. _Nineteen weeks_! Then he delivered two of the three best tv moments ever - in my world, at least. The first was also Twin Peaks - Arbitrary Law, in the original series.

[@BigDaddyZakk420]

I'm glad so many people are talking about him killing it. He did such an amazing job, one of the best in the ensemble.

[@morenohebling3219]

nice name amico

[@kenneld]

i love that he totally understood what he needed to give david lynch with his performance. very cool.

[@Willismcnillis]

You were awesome in that scene dude. You really nailed it and have made yourself part of the Twin Peaks legend

[@DigitalInsurgent]

When Lillard showed up in the new season, I thought "Well, that makes sense". He seems like a natural fit for a Lynch project. Surprised he never saw the original show.

[@plasticweapon]

@Gary Allen yeah, it made me look at him in a new way.

[@clanofclams2720]

@TETCOM why would he do that? That's utterly ridiculous

[@Adam-tk3cx]

@@clanofclams2720 His character's haplessness and inability to understand the world and context surrounding his actions is essential to the role.

[@mattponikvar4944]

He killed it in that scene, gained a newfound respect for him.

[@demency2741]

Genuinely, Twin Peaks hugely revived my respect for Matthew Lillard as an actor. I'd fallen out of touch with him since the old days, and he was just so clearly giving it everything here, and hitting it out of the park.

[@panterxbeats]

all I could think when I first saw him was "scooby doo" but as it went on I totally forgot

[@riana4180]

I forgot about Scooby Doo until he says, "We were gonna go SCUBA diving!"

[@Talsedoom]

Didn't watched Scooby Doo movie and Im proud of it, as for Lillard i always remember him from Scream. - u realy call the Police? - You bet your sorry ass i Did. - my mom and dad are going to be so mad at me... sob sob

[@TheBlackLodger]

I always think of Shaggy whenever I see him even in Twin Peaks because honestly he was born to play/voice him.

[@acidmack1041]

Never watched Scooby Doo the movie....it looks awful lol. I think Scream & Without A Paddle when i saw Matthew

[@user-dn8hw8zv8c]

I love ur bladee remixes✨🎏🎐

[@davidd9976]

He did a fantastic job

[@nevadatan7323]

Man he was insanely good. I'm so glad he was chosen for this role, its an absolute benchmark performance for him going forward. He added so much to making The Return what it is.

[@zacmoore5257]

Unquestionably the best work of his career.

[@Microfoot]

It must have been really rewarding to see how well-received his performance was. He did a great job.

[@smilodon87]

Lillard's monologue was superb. Phenomenally acted.

[@benholman8860]

Dude, as my avatar proves I am a HUGE TP fan. I mean bigley, and Matthew Lillard kicked that scene's ass. Now that I know how little he had to work with it amazes me even more. Kudos to you, sir.

[@jakek1735]

Lynch has a knack for getting surprisingly intense performances out of actors you wouldn't expect, but that scene took it to another level.

[@kmsharley75]

His performance was up to par with Ray Wise's (Leland Palmer) performance in the original. Very similar characters,I thought.

[@benholman8860]

Oh definitely.

[@sir_john_hammond]

Your russian avatar proves you're a huge Twin Peaks fan? Well okay... *shrugs* If you say so, man.

[@emillyyelen5169]

@@sir_john_hammond he probably changed it...

[@Opipop]

That is an amazing scene, an incredible moment in the series. He should be proud of it, it’s next level work.

[@jeffwalker6815]

David Lynch is such a good director that he brought out a great performance from Matt Lillard and made me laugh at Jim Belushi...

[@ryneprince7113]

.....

[@athiedoll]

Lillard is a good actor tho ...

[@monk_moshpit]

😭😭 real shit

[@StudioSerious1]

Well, Jim Belushi is already a funny guy, so.

[@stinkfinga4918]

Zing!

[@RudyBoy]

Cinema needs more Matthew Lillard. Been a fan of his for a long time

[@dragonfistjedi]

I think that scene where he breaks down is comparable to the scene in the original pilot where Sarah Palmer finds out on the phone that Laura is dead. Couldn't help but think of that.

[@scottbaker4534]

YES!!! That would be one, and Leland's confession/death in Season 2. It's not just because of the crying, it's digging deep acting, finding the "heart of darkness" and dredging it up for a performance that makes the unreal terrifyingly real. In all three scenes, we see a human being exposed to the raw nerve.

[@southernrail4254]

He blew me away with his scenes and i absolutely consider him to be one of the best parts of The Return. i am always drawn to his performance and wish he had more!! KUDOS!!

[@olovambrosiuspersson3957]

Twin peaks was, in my opinion, Lillard finest work to date. He absolutely killed it!

[@christalcrawford6542]

That scene!! ‘I just wanted to go scuba diving” is my go to when I am overwhelmed. He blew it out of the park

[@Jackp2003]

I know, I love that line! There’s just something real, genuine, and personal about it.

[@shattered5560]

Took me a while to understand what he meant by that. He wants to be between two worlds, the other dimension and our world. Like when you scubadive. I mean, I think it's that

[@Jackp2003]

@@shattered5560 Interesting take. I always took it literally, but you could be right.

[@X3N0BU55Y]

Seeing him look so old makes me feel old since my intro to him was Scream. "I'll be right back!" ;)

[@nicholaslawrence6926]

I know. He was pretty hot in Scream as Stu.

[@sohft]

He should be extremely proud. He crafted a lasting impact on a character that had short time in a beloved series. That is hard work, and it has paid off big time.

[@ablaise82]

He was honestly my favorite thing about the season.

[@yourpalfred]

He was so SO GOOD. I would love to see him directed by David Lynch again

[@rherulzok]

my heart breaks wishing for this knowing it can never be...

[@tonye2458]

There’s a handful of monologue scenes in the series that completely crush it, this is one of them. The top for me is Major Briggs vision scene with Bobby.

[@olitomar]

I remember watching that scene a year ago thinking exactly that: what a good actor.

[@jenibroussard3222]

I'm thankful I never saw Scooby Doo, my experience with Lillard has been solely through Hackers, SLC Punk, and Scream. I was surprised when I saw him show up in The Return, and when that interrogation scene came around, my jaw dropped. It's amazing to see performances that just transcend acting altogether. With his role as Hastings, and the whole thing was beautifully played, with the interrogation scene as the cherry on top, has cemented his place in history has having acted one of the most visceral and transcendental scenes ever made. I want to see more of this from Lillard.

[@jayvee5686]

He knew that all of the film buffs and acting connoisseurs out there would be watching, and he really met the challenge head on

[@cultofhedra3478]

"I just wanna go SCOOBa diving!!!"

[@kenjohns1982]

I love twin peaks and Matthew Lillard's scene in the international room was probably my favorite scene in the entire series. He deserved an Emmy for that scene alone!

[@Meta-Drew]

He was incredible, it was great seeing him in this role and even more impressive hearing him describe how he really had no context for this scene either. Impressive acting.

[@ytubeanon]

1:08 who gets hired to be in the Twin Peaks sequel and DOESN'T WATCH THE ORIGINAL SERIES??? he had 25 years!

[@SamizzleWren]

I think it’s better he had no context while acting out the scene honestly ❤

[@ytubeanon]

@@SamizzleWren takes balls lol

[@SamizzleWren]

@@ytubeanon for real! lol

[@AdamRasmussenAstronaut]

He was so incredibly impressive in his role. A real pleasure to watch.

[@zapzap7458]

It was very exciting to see the progress of Matthew Lillard's character. Really excellent job

[@TitoMariategui]

Amazing performance. One of the beat scenes of the return

[@duringmydeath]

Oscar worthy moment. Uncanny emotional performance by an adult male. Few achieve that level of believable and authentic realism in a performance. Its remarkable what Lynch pulls out of people. Absolutely enthralling cinematic TV! Also I found Matthew Lillard's license in a pair of pants in the GC break room in Hollywood back in 2002. True story. Don't understand how it got there but I held Matthew Lillard's actual Drivers License in my hand after pulling it out of a pair of abandoned pants in the Guitar Center break room. I got lots of weird stories like that from my time in L.A. but that one was one of the most curious and unique. lol

[@WHATEVTREV]

He was awesome in The Return! A great, if short lived, new addition to the cast

[@peepspers]

Def one of my favorite scenes from the show.

[@diamondhook7274]

Matthew man you were brilliant. So glad you are a part of the fabric :)

[@sacukel]

Everyone else might have already said it, but man, Matthew, no one else watching the scene had any more context than you did acting it. None of it makes any sense, and we love it, and we loved you in the scene.

[@bumpy_lumps]

It is INSANE how good he is in that scene

[@tylerskiss]

No, dude- you did AMAZING work!

[@adlofheltirchiefadvisortot40]

was an excelent performance, among many great performances on twin peaks series 3... the acting generally went up a notch... series 1 & 3 are the best

[@Ballmaster2112]

2 doesn’t get the respect it deserves. It began and ended very powerfully.

[@akillen77]

Star Fucker agreed

[@bansheevideos]

but ofc after leland's death it went to shit for many episodes. the last few eps were the saving grace though.

[@Jackp2003]

@@Ballmaster2112 Yes, the only bad part of season 2 is roughly episodes S2-E11-E19. Don’t forget the season finale which is timeless.

[@marcopivetta7796]

he used that stress in his favour, his character was stressed out of his mind and that scene was killer. you'll always be shaggy, tho.

[@miguelvielma895]

This type of video makes me appreciate more the work of actors.

[@Gigibaby88]

he was phenomenal, one of my favorite scenes in the return & that's saying a lot! kudos sir.

[@demonicsweaters]

Incredibly memorable performance in this.

[@thomasriishansen3152]

He sounds like a survivor of a terrible car accident, trying to recap, without reliving it, but wearing himself thinner and thinner. His character has lost all sense of composure and masculinity. He is a young boy who can´t unsee what he has seen and is trying to get away from the horror... Sublime. Some of the best acting I have ever seen. Small scene, but HUGE impact on how you watch all that follows.

[@voodoochild1975az]

He is right to be proud of this. He slayed that scene. Maybe a lesson for actors here. Lynch may be weird, but just go with it... it's David freakin' Lynch.

[@absoluterefusal]

Indeed, one of the best scenes in any work. It was funny, pathetic, deeply disturbing and sad, in a very human way. I remember being floored by that performance. Truly amazing.

[@davideberhardt6150]

Love how he walked into this thinking "Dammit, I haven't watched the original so I have no clue what's going on!" as if this would be any sort of helpful 😄

[@benconnor3206]

EXCELLENT work, what a season and this final entry has made me complete! Twin peaks for life , lillard did amazing. Especially since he didn’t know anything

[@JimmyGrl09]

Your awesome Matthew!!!! Miss you!! So talented!❤️

[@timleopardxolo]

Rare to see a performance that good in film or television. Some of the most intense acting I've ever seen, Hastings is probably the most tormented character in a series full of them.

[@WolfLikeMyself]

Matthew Lillard is such a cool human being

[@josephflannery9015]

Matthew did such a good job, I had to google if he was in Twin Peaks because it looked a lot and not a lot like him when I first saw it. He really did a great job in that role.

[@connororeilly5887]

He did do good work. I loved his character. He really helped to set up the rest of the season!

[@acepc2]

although I don't like the new twin peaks as much as much as the old one I can not deny that Matthew Lillard's performance was inpecable

[@bevrosity]

*impeccable. sincerely yours, a spelling nazi.

[@acepc2]

thank you!

[@MrMotoflou]

*thank u

[@roymarius1634]

You’re dumb

[@reservoirfrog1]

For me it’s the other way round. Preferred the Returb

[@video_ouija7114]

He was great. Glad to see him in there

[@gabrielalfaia8154]

I first knew him because of scooby doo like most people. And i expected some kind of comedy thing like twin peaks is used to, but seeing the strenght and intensity of his acting was incredibly impressive. I can only imagine David calling him a silly nick name and congratulating him after the scenes saying "You did a stellar job, lizzard boy!"

[@RobertMunro-wb6jb]

Impo that was definitely his best work as an actor! It didn’t feel forced it felt very natural and genuine!!! RIP David lynch!

[@SkullModder]

I know exactly what he's talking about with having a narrow view due to not seeing the rest of the story, I watched the return on a full batch of strong edibles, higher than jerry himself lost in the forest, and I had not seen season 1 or 2. One of my favorite life experiences, it was the perfect way for me to watch it and I dont think the series would've been the same for me had I watched season 1 and 2 first. I had never felt so immersed in something before the return and seeing matt in it was awesome shock, he really nailed his role.

[@Hastenforthedawm]

Him not knowing what's going on also compliments his character who also doesn't. Ive never seen him in a dark and serious role like that before and it really added something in his portion of The Teturn for sure

[@Karlbrentwood]

I've always enjoyed his work.

[@MrJambot]

It's so cool to hear about that process of working with Lynch. It's kinda astonishing how much emotion he communicated delivering lines that literally mean absolutely nothing to him-, and have no recognisable context. Well done Lillard.

[@virginiaschianini5474]

I wasn't aware that he didn't know anything about the script. Incredibly underrated actor.

[@erikb14]

That's how Twin Peaks was done. None of the actors have read the full script ahead. They were given their own pages of dialogue on the day of the shooting and those were destroyed at the end of the day. No background story, just random scenes which made no sense to anyone. Truly a masterpiece, given how it all beautifully blended into one show.

[@virginiaschianini5474]

Wow I have been a big TP fan for years and I did not know that. It truly works well and probably adds to the eeriness of the show.​@@erikb14

[@virginiaschianini5474]

@@erikb14 Wow I've been a fan since forever and I didn't know that. I guess it adds to the eeriness of it all. Thanks!

[@erikb14]

@@virginiaschianini5474 Just a "fan"? Don't hold back, become a part of the cult. I highly suggest reading "Room to Dream" by David Lynch and Kristine McKenna, which gives some really tasty details on how David goes about doing the Art and plenty of stories around how Twin Peaks (and other of his creations) came to existence. You will be amazed, I can promise you that. Very inspiring reading for any fan of David's work, or any true artist finding their way in today's world.

[@thewkovacs316]

@@erikb14 one of the reasons lynch demanded final cut for all of his work

[@ThatGuy-vf1wj]

What a stand out performance in a cast of excellent actors.

[@JW666]

Like everybody says in the commentary, Matthew Lillard was really great in The Return-series. He actually suprised me because I've never seen him playing a serious role before and The Return showed that he can play a serious role!

[@brownsugar2456]

Brando never read the novel Apocalypse Now when he showed up on set and he was paid millions. Coppola couldn't believe it. He nailed it too.

[@ferrisferrisferrisferrisha3396]

But similarly the, Heart of Darkness is not very similar to the film adaptation Apocalypse now

[@SomeKindOfScum]

david brown Brando was such a tool

[@panpap93]

But in the end he read it...and that's why he shaved his head( like Coppola suggested) and that's why got so much into the character... talent is important but practice makes perfect!

[@AtomicElectronCo]

He did a great job. He totally covered a man who knows and feels his life is over because he is in such deep trouble and no one else can understand or help. Everything in his life is more or less destroyed.

[@seand5627]

Well he was brilliant. I felt so sorry for his character, he made it so memorable All he wanted was to go scuba diving in the Bahamas 😢😂

[@IngaHicks]

Lillard did a FANTASTIC job as William Hastings :) Had me cracking up! It was quirky, funny and he really brought that characters personality on screen. If he was stressed, you wouldnt know it

[@travisspazz1624]

"...........he's dead!"

[@kobehanrenobi3911]

Hilarious!

[@CorporateShoes]

lmao

[@TheDarkPorkins]

LOLed at that scene. I love Lynch.

[@gazzalawson]

Wonderful execution of an extremely difficult scene from Matthew, he should be so proud

[@Molotov_Milkshake]

I was pleased to see Matthew in Twin Peaks. I almost didn't recognise him at first though, because the last time I saw him was SLC Punk.

[@alchemypotato]

Yeah, that was definitely a standout scene in the series (which is saying a lot, considering how great it was.) Matthew killed it.

[@iamdrumgod]

It's the best work in the entire season.

[@raleghhowes2778]

His casting and performance was a genius stroke for the show, as soon as he appears on screen in this it’s unsettling and gets increasingly more so.

[@greyeyed123]

A man in trouble.

[@tenmilesky7331]

greyeyed123 ... & every time that reference immediately brings to mind his LA 🐄 day offering 🧀 anecdotes amongst the vague warnings of 'trouble'. (lol)

[@travismord4175]

Matthew lillard, you were incredible.

[@fonduaunoir8259]

Man you are one of the greatest actor since i saw you play Stuart Macher

[@righteousrat]

Lillard did amazingly in The Return

[@nodescriptionavailable3842]

His breakdown scene was very effective. Twin peaks is a legendary, epic, all time great, hilarious, horrific, atmospheric, enigmatic, masterpiece.

[@CrumblyTriscuits]

Lol I was skeptical when I was first introduced to his character, but, he nailed it. His performance was very stressful to watch and I think that was the point.

[@ProfessorFrenzy]

Lillard delivered in spades. I'm astonished at his work in that scene.

[@dropoutnotbombs]

Reminded me of one of the final scenes of slc punk ❤️ I cried just as hard during both 😭

[@thinkoutsidetheboard]

It was the best scene (and he did the best acting work) in all of The Return.

[@DL-ty4cu]

Great job Matthew. You were exceptional in your role

[@scottholyk8224]

We've always known Matthew Lillard is a good actor, and that Bill Hastings scene was absolutely brilliant.

[@iatethecrayons]

matthew lillard was amazing in this

[@rogerwhittaker4189]

Another great performance of Matthew Lillard has done it again playing the next serial killer show's that he's one of the greatest actors around and I just saw it last night for the first time.