The fan was mourning her sister who had passed away a few weeks before she met the star.
Matthew Lillard’s fans know him from his diverse roles on the big screen, including the beloved Shaggy from "Scooby-Doo" and the quirky hacker Cereal Killer. While his characters may be eccentric, in real life, Lillard embodies hard work, kindness, courage, and energy. Recently, a fan named Travari Windrunner shared a touching photo and story about how Lillard brightened her day during a time of grief.
Travari, a digital creator based in Seattle, Washington, posted a photo of the "Scream" star giving her a warm "dad hug." She shared, “My little sister and I grew up watching 'Scooby-Doo,' and we were just addicted to Shaggy and Scooby for their obvious silliness. Shaggy was our childhood hero!”
Travari met Matthew early last year at Emerald City Comic Con. It was her first encounter with the actor, just days after her sister had passed away. “When my turn came up for our photo together, I asked him if he could just give me one of those Dad-hugs. He looked at me and said, ‘You give me the biggest f*****g hug you can.’ I forgot I even needed to pose and just hugged him hard and he gave me that dad hug I needed,” she recalled.
When she met him for the autograph signing later that day, he expressed his deepest condolences for her loss. “He gave me another one of those dad hugs for an even longer hold and gave me some words of encouragement before signing my picture with ‘Hugs – Dad,’” she added. Travari concluded the post by mentioning that Matthew “is the sweetest soul on this planet and is so incredibly caring of his fans.”
Her story moved many fans to tears. Some shared that they now wish to meet the actor, knowing how kind he is. A few people chimed in with their own experiences of meeting him.
@diffpunk commented, “I’m glad this happened for you! I have a friend that knew him and from what they said, he’s a real one.” Also, @tim.peirson recalled that he met him a few years back in Crypticon, and said he’s a “really nice and personable guy.” @Klghstblr expressed her love by writing, “I am in tears this story is so precious. I'm so sorry for your loss, sending big sister hug vibes your way.”
@indysochor, whose 16-year-old son is a huge Matthew fan, commented that the actor is a “rare gem and definitely deserves to be treasured forever.” Five days later, Travari shared a screenshot saying that Matthew had commented on one of her posts, and she was overwhelmed with emotion.
The photo and story in Travari’s post were also shared on Reddit by u/michael14375 in the r/MadeMeSmile community, where it has crossed 97,000 upvotes and more than a thousand comments. Many people described him as one of the “nicest celebrities," "the kindest man,” “friendliest guy" and "the most amazing human."
u/argyleskin, who lost their son, shared that they once met Matthew and told him about their late son. Matthew gave them a hug, sharing their sorrow. “The connection with a human about my son meant more to me than getting a hug from an actor. He’s just such a decent human and good soul. Few people famous or not are that pure,” the Redditor wrote.
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