The gents behind Stu Macher and Billy Loomis also discuss that viral ‘First Husbands of Horror’ title.

Scream kings Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich reunite for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2: ‘It’s a blessing’

The gents behind Stu Macher and Billy Loomis also discuss that viral 'First Husbands of Horror' title.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in *Vanity Fair*, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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December 5, 2025 10:00 a.m. ET

Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard reunite in 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2'. Credit:

Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

- Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich discuss their first onscreen reunion since 1996's *Scream* in *Five Nights at Freddy's 2*.

- They talk about their viral "First Husbands of Horror" moment and embracing that nickname.

- Ulrich shares the one Lillard movie he was in talks for, but "it just didn't happen for me."

Twenty-nine years after Stu Macher and Billy Loomis cut it up in Wes Craven's *Scream*, stars Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich are back together.

Though the actors have known each other for decades, this weekend's *Five Nights at Freddy's 2*, the PG-13-rated horror movie inspired by the popular video games, marks their first project outside the Ghostface-fronted slasher franchise.

Lillard reprises his role from the first *FNAF* movie as William Afton, a serial child murderer and the creator of the haunted animatronics of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Ulrich now arrives as Henry, officially described as "a man with some mysterious connections to Freddy's past," though fans of the franchise know his secrets.

Ahead of the red carpet premiere of *Five Nights at Freddy's 2* in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the duo sits down with ** to discuss what took them so long to reunite on screen, the past movie they almost reunited for, and embracing their viral "First Husbands of Horror" title.

Skeet Ulrich, Jamie Kennedy, and Matthew Lillard in 'Scream'.

Dimension Films/courtesy Everett

**: I'm still so shocked that this is your first project since *Scream*. Have you guys talked a lot over the years about collaborating in some way?**

**SKEET ULRICH:** He does not like me as a performer. It's weird.

**MATTHEW LILLARD:** It's not weird. You've seen his work. What's there to like?! [*Laughs*] It's hard enough to do one f---ing movie in this town, let alone do another movie with another one of your best friends. We are not in control of any decision. One percent of Hollywood makes their decision and charts their own course. The rest of us are out there trying as hard as we can to get our next job. Luckily enough for us, Scott [Cawthon, *Five Nights at Freddy's* creator and writer/producer on the movie sequel] saw the value of putting us together. The character's relationship really works with Skeet. And hopefully in success, we'll get to a third movie and really get to explore that relationship on screen.

**SKEET ULRICH:** I don't think we've even been offered anything that we both would have an opportunity to say yes to. So, yes, it's a blessing to, all these years later...

**LILLARD:** To avoid me?

**ULRICH:** No, I was gonna say it's a blessing to get to be around him as much as I can.

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**Was there ever a point pre-*Five Nights at Freddy's* where it seemed like maybe you would collaborate on something?**

**LILLARD:** I directed a movie 12 years ago now [2012's *Fat Kid Rules the World*]. That's when you can really dictate the people you work with, 'cause you're putting it together.

**ULRICH:** He didn't put me in the movie, just so you know.

**LILLARD:** You're not of the age yet to be a teenage father!

**ULRICH:** I think *Summer Catch* [the 2001 movie starring Lillard] was probably our closest. I did meet with those guys about the film, and it just didn't happen for me.

Matthew Lillard as William Afton in 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2'.

Ryan Green / Universal

**It's hard to find a horror director in their 30s or 40s these days who wasn't inspired in some way by that era of horror way back when. What is that like for you guys now? I imagine it must be a different director-actor relationship, knowing that these filmmakers are actively inspired by your work. **

**LILLARD:** Yeah, it's funny, there's a weight in which, at our age, walking on sets, especially around those iconic characters, is that we have become iconic in that genre. And that's a weird thing, because neither one of us walks around like we're icons. But in that genre, to those filmmakers, you have the young grips or the prop department, they're like, "Oh my God!" As you age into these roles and that mantle, it's humbling. It's awkward 'cause how do you respond to that when somebody calls you a horror icon? Robert Englund's a horror icon. I am a blue-collar, working-class, trying-to-make-ends-meet actor. And yet, how people perceive you has weight.

**ULRICH:** If it had a direct correlation with my bank account, it would be very rewarding. [*Laughs*] It'd be way cooler. But to Matt's point, we're both very humble individuals. Primarily, that's us and our personality, but it's also a reflection of the relationship we have with Hollywood and our striving to work. Yeah, we've been fortunate to do it for over 30 years now, each. It's great that there's one thing for sure that people hold us up on a pedestal for. There are many people in our shoes who don't get that, and they're just as talented and just as successful in their own right.

**LILLARD:** Nobody expected it to be anything else other than another Wes Craven movie. At the time the movie came out, it wasn't like he was on a rip-roaring collection of films that were crushing it. He was at a plateau or in a dip in his career, I think it's fair enough to say. And along comes *Scream* and changes the narrative forever. Somebody said this recently, and I really kind of agree, that *Scream* film was a Jenga tower. Without Skeet, it doesn't work. Without Neve [Campbell], it doesn't work. Every single one of us fit in perfectly.

**Both of you were at a fan convention recently. Matt, you made a comment that Stu and Billy are the First Husbands of Horror. It stood out to me, one, because those comments caught on like wildfire, and people responded so well. And two, it feels like your characters almost took on a life of their own after you put them out into the world. What was it like to see those comments from that convention take off online in the way that they did?**

**ULRICH:** I didn't necessarily track it online, but I do know that it gets a significant response in the moment. You can sort of feel people glom to it, in a way. I think it makes us feel more relatable to them instantly. It's a moniker that Matt put on it, but I think somebody brought it up to us initially, and we just thought, "Wow! I guess, in a way, we are." But to your point, these characters did take on a life of their own. There are so many questions about who killed who. Even Kevin Williamson [*Scream* screenwriter] never delineated who killed who, so we never thought about it, but it's all fan theory, and they really dive into it. First Husbands of Horror is just a part of that.

**LILLARD:** I *did* see how it took off online. First of all, I should clarify, I don't know if we're actually the First Husbands of Horror. There are many people who stood up and said, "Wait a second!" We are the most current husbands of horror. [*Laughs*] But I'll say this: That has nothing to do with the film, has everything to do with what it means to the fans.

If there's some kid out there and then takes the correlation that those two boys are gay and that empowers some young, queer kid out there, then f---ing hell! We're the first two husbands of horror! For us, it's a film. We've done lots of them. But the powerful thing is, for some reason, somehow in the zeitgeist, this movie has translated into something iconic and powerful to other people. So our job is to stand before them and go like, "We see you, and we love whatever it is for you." Also, in this world where people are trying to neg and bring hate into things, and it really upsets some kind of righteous authority that they're not, my favorite thing to do is, "Oh yeah? Prove it. They're not gay? Prove it."

**ULRICH:** That's my husband right there! It's also interesting...you would think a horror convention would be — and to some extent it is — these dark souls wandering, but really, what we see is a lot of families come to these things, and it has bonded them in a way. That's part of the longevity of the success of the film, passing it down to this generation. *Five Nights* has that same promise — or not even promise, 'cause it's already proven that it's a family film.

Skeet Ulrich in 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2'.

Ryan Green / Universal

**Another parallel, similar to the first *Scream* movie, was the first *Five Nights at Freddy's*, I don't think anybody associated with that movie expected it to be as big as it was. And you're in a similar position, watching in real time as those box-office numbers go up.**

**LILLARD:** You know who knew it was gonna be big? Scott Cawthon. He understood the veracity of that fan base. This movie is not made for anyone else but the fans, right? It's not made for critics. It's not made for adults who just sort of wander in. It's made for the millions and millions and millions of kids who are out there playing this game. At conventions, my line doubled in size overnight with the announcement. It's a little like playing Darth Vader or Voldemort. [William Afton] is an iconic character.

**ULRICH:** It's pretty palpable. I see my lines increasing at Cons. I've followed a little bit online and on social media, and there is a rabid fan base that's very excited that I'm a part of it. I'm sort of leading the charge on that, nudging them to say more. [*Laughs*]

**LILLARD:** Liking everyone [on Instagram]. Like! Like! Like! ... You're doing all the Hollywood things, but then sitting in that audience — 'cause we watched it together like a month ago — the movie's faster, it's more exciting, there's bigger set pieces, lots of lore, it's funny...

**ULRICH:** Jump scares galore.

**LILLARD:** I think people are gonna lose their freaking minds.

**I haven't seen the movie yet, but I gather you two don't share much screen time.**

**LILLARD:** The truth of the matter is that Scott has a very clear plan about how these movies play out. In its essence, our two characters in the game are more in line with things that happened in the third game. So we don't actually have a moment on screen, I think it's fair to say this time, but the collision course has been set.

**ULRICH:** Yeah, it's hard to reveal too much without people being able to figure out and decipher things 'cause they're so locked into the lore.**

*This article has been edited and condensed for clarity and brevity. *

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