Matthew Lillard Kids: Meet Addison, Ace and Liam and Learn What They Are Doing Today

Matthew Lillard has spent decades playing memorable characters, from Stu Macher in Scream to Shaggy Rogers in the live-action Scooby-Doo films. At home, though, those famous roles do not carry nearly as much weight. To his three children, Matthew is simply their dad.

Matthew Lillard has three kids with his wife, Heather Lillard: Addison, Ace and Liam. The couple married in August 2000 and started their family two years later. Addison arrived in June 2002, followed by Ace in October 2004 and Liam in April 2008.

As the children have grown older, each has developed a noticeably different personality and set of interests. Addison pursued visual art, Ace has been studying acting, while Liam has shown little interest in following his father into Hollywood.

Interestingly, Matthew’s children have also influenced his own career. Their enthusiasm helped convince him to accept the role of William Afton in Five Nights at Freddy’s, introducing the veteran actor to another generation of fans.

How Many Children Does Matthew Lillard Have?

Matthew and Heather Lillard are parents to three children.

Their oldest, Addison, was born on June 14, 2002. Their second child, Ace, arrived in October 2004, and their youngest, Liam, was born in April 2008.

Despite growing up with a famous actor for a father, Matthew has suggested his children do not spend much time thinking about his celebrity status.

He explained in 2025 that they primarily know him as the person who handles ordinary parenting responsibilities, including telling them to take out the trash, helping pay for college and offering guidance as they figure out their futures.

For Matthew, that seems to be exactly how he wants it.

He has also avoided pressuring his children toward entertainment careers. They have been able to see the successful and difficult periods of acting through their father’s experiences, giving them a more realistic picture of the profession.

Addison Lillard

Addison Lillard is Matthew and Heather’s oldest child.

She was born on June 14, 2002, which happened to be a particularly memorable day in her father’s career. The original live-action Scooby-Doo movie was released in theaters on the very same date.

Matthew has recalled the strange experience of celebrating two major life events at once.

While he was holding his newborn daughter, he received a call from a studio executive offering congratulations. Matthew initially assumed the executive was talking about Addison. Instead, the call concerned the strong response to Scooby-Doo and plans for another movie.

For Matthew, however, becoming a father was clearly the much bigger event.

More than two decades later, Addison has developed a creative career of her own.

Addison Studied Art at USC

Instead of following her father directly into acting, Addison focused on visual art.

She attended the University of Southern California’s Roski School of Art and Design and graduated in May 2025.

Addison has shared examples of her creative work online, including pieces made during school, personal projects and commissions. She started using a dedicated social media account to showcase her artwork while still studying.

Her interests have not been limited to the studio.

Addison has also worked as an entertainer at the Sterling Renaissance Festival in New York, giving her at least some experience performing in front of audiences.

Matthew has made it clear that creativity is encouraged in the family, but he does not expect his children to copy his career.

That approach has allowed Addison to develop her own artistic identity.

Ace Lillard Is Pursuing Acting

Of Matthew’s three children, Ace has taken the clearest step toward following him into acting.

Ace has been studying acting at Carnegie Mellon University, with graduation expected in 2027.

Matthew has spoken warmly about Ace’s abilities and artistic development. For an actor who entered the industry without the same kind of formal educational background, watching his child receive professional training has been particularly meaningful.

Ace has also begun appearing with the family at entertainment events.

In 2025, Ace joined other members of the Lillard family at the Toronto International Film Festival in support of The Life of Chuck, which featured Matthew.

Being the child of an established actor can create obvious expectations, but Matthew has said he never wanted to push his children into Hollywood.

Instead, he wants to support their interests when those ambitions come naturally.

Liam Lillard Chose a Different Direction

Matthew’s youngest child, Liam, seems considerably less interested in the entertainment business.

Matthew has recalled Liam making his feelings about acting quite clear. Unlike Ace, Liam apparently found very little appealing about pursuing the profession.

Liam has instead been described as athletic.

That difference between the siblings reflects Matthew’s approach to parenting. He appears comfortable allowing his children to choose their own paths rather than expecting them to continue a family profession.

One child is studying acting, another has concentrated on visual art, and the youngest has leaned toward sports.

Matthew’s experience in Hollywood may have helped him understand why giving his children that freedom matters.

His Kids Convinced Him to Join Five Nights at Freddy’s

One of the most entertaining connections between Matthew’s family and his acting career involves Five Nights at Freddy’s.

When Matthew was initially approached about appearing in the 2023 video game adaptation, he was not completely certain about accepting the project.

After meeting director Emma Tammi, he returned home and discussed the opportunity with Heather.

His children overheard the conversation.

Matthew mentioned that he would be playing William Afton, a major character within the Five Nights at Freddy’s universe. Ace immediately understood how significant the role could be and told him the movie was going to be huge.

Liam then offered essentially the same reaction.

Matthew joked that simply getting those two to agree about something was unusual enough to get his attention.

Their instincts proved accurate.

Five Nights at Freddy’s became a major theatrical success and brought Matthew into a franchise that already had an enormous younger fan base.

Matthew Returned for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2

The success of the first movie eventually led Matthew back to the franchise.

He returned for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, which arrived in theaters in December 2025.

This time, the project had become something of a family affair. Matthew attended the Hollywood premiere with Heather and their children.

It was an interesting reversal of the usual parent-child dynamic. Instead of Matthew introducing his children to one of his projects, they had originally helped him understand why the role mattered.

His career already included recognizable movies such as Scream and Scooby-Doo, but Five Nights at Freddy’s connected him with an audience that had grown up with the video game franchise.

His children understood that cultural significance before he did.

Ace Publicly Supported Their Father

The close relationship between Matthew and his children became particularly visible in late 2025 after director Quentin Tarantino made a negative comment about Matthew’s acting.

Matthew later admitted that hearing criticism from such a prominent filmmaker hurt.

Ace responded publicly with a heartfelt message defending their father.

Rather than focusing only on Matthew’s successful movies, Ace praised the person behind them. They described their dad as someone they admired creatively and personally, emphasizing his humility and the genuine connection he develops with people who care about his work.

Addison also publicly supported her father and described him as both a role model and an exceptional dad.

The messages revealed something that movie credits cannot really show. Whatever audiences think of Matthew’s performances, his children clearly see him first through the relationship they have with him at home.

Matthew Lillard Does Not Push His Kids Toward Hollywood

Growing up around the entertainment industry can make acting seem like an obvious career for celebrity children, but Matthew has taken a more cautious approach.

He has said his children witnessed the ups and downs of his career firsthand.

Matthew knows what it is like to have successful movies followed by slower professional periods. That experience means his children have not grown up believing that Hollywood guarantees constant success.

He has therefore avoided pushing them toward acting.

When one of his children genuinely shows artistic ambition, however, he is willing to encourage it.

That is particularly apparent with Ace’s acting studies and Addison’s visual art career.

Liam’s decision to avoid acting has received the same respect.

Matthew Lillard’s Family Life

Matthew Lillard’s three children have grown up alongside a career filled with recognizable characters, horror franchises and family movies, yet the actor appears most proud of simply being their father.

Addison has established herself as a visual artist after graduating from USC’s Roski School of Art and Design. Ace is developing acting skills at Carnegie Mellon University and could eventually become another professional performer in the family. Liam, meanwhile, has preferred athletics and has shown no desire to enter acting.

Their influence also runs in the opposite direction.

Ace and Liam helped convince Matthew that Five Nights at Freddy’s was an opportunity worth taking, while Addison and Ace have publicly supported their father during difficult moments.

Matthew may be Shaggy, Stu Macher or William Afton to audiences around the world, but his children have a much simpler view of him. At home, he is the dad who gives advice, handles everyday responsibilities and supports whatever direction they decide to take.