Matthew Lillard responds to Quentin Tarantino’s harsh critique and says remarks about his acting hurt

Matthew Lillard says Quentin Tarantino’s recent criticism of his acting was blunt, surprising, and genuinely painful

Matthew Lillard opened up about feeling stung by comments Quentin Tarantino recently made about him, admitting the director’s remarks were difficult to hear even if he tried not to take them personally.

Appearing at GalaxyCon in Columbus, Ohio, Lillard responded to Tarantino’s statement from “The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast,” where the filmmaker said, “I don’t care for Matthew Lillard.” The audience reacted with boos as Lillard recounted the comment, brushing it off at first with, “Eh, whatever. Who gives a shit.”

But Lillard later acknowledged the criticism did bother him. Speaking candidly, he said, “It hurts your feelings. It f—ing sucks. And you wouldn’t say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldn’t say that to somebody who’s a top-line actor in Hollywood.”

Lillard went on to explain that praise from fans doesn’t always reflect how he’s viewed within the industry. “I’m very popular in this room. I’m not very popular in Hollywood,” he said, noting the difference between convention admiration and professional reputation. “Two totally different microcosms, right? And so, you know, it’s humbling, and it hurts.”

Tarantino’s criticism wasn’t limited to Lillard. During the same podcast appearance, the two-time Oscar-winning director also took aim at Paul Dano, specifically criticizing Dano’s performance alongside Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood. Tarantino called Dano “weak sauce” and suggested the actor was vastly overshadowed, saying Day-Lewis “is eating him alive.” He added that Austin Butler would have better suited the role, describing Dano as “the weakest actor in SAG” during the exchange.

The controversial remarks have sparked new discussion about Tarantino’s blunt assessments of actors and his long-standing tendency to critique Hollywood talent with unfiltered honesty.