Matthew Lillard Wife: Who Is He Married To? (2026)

Matthew Lillard, known for playing Stu Macher in Scream and voicing Shaggy Rogers in Scooby-Doo, has been married to Heather Helm since August 26, 2000. Their marriage of more than 25 years is one of the longest-lasting in Hollywood. Helm is a Southern California native who built a successful career as a luxury real estate agent in Pasadena after starting out in event marketing.

Who Is Heather Helm?

Heather Helm is a top luxury real estate agent and active community philanthropist based in Pasadena, California. She began her career as the Director of Special Event Marketing for Disney, then ventured into the real estate business in 2009, establishing herself as a successful realtor.

Their meet-cute is straight out of a romantic comedy. Lillard met Helm at a party in the late 1990s and was immediately taken with her. In one telling of the story, he learned she was going to Italy for a wedding with friends and arranged to attend her friend's wedding to connect with her. In another account, he met her at a golf tournament and decided within ten minutes to join her on a trip to Italy. Either way, he knew quickly that she was the woman he wanted to marry.

Lillard has credited Helm with balancing his personality. "I've been married 24 years in a crazy business," he told E! News. "We never had a difficult time. We're good yin-yang. I am very carefree... And my wife has the ability to balance that with a sense of diligence, and she's very prudent." He added that she has been "incredible to parent with and a real gift to partner." In 2024, he joked on Instagram: "24 years of marriage. In Hollywood that's equivalent to, like 47 human years. I am as lucky as it gets."

Marriage Timeline

Lillard and Helm met at a late-1990s party and married on August 26, 2000. They have kept their family life refreshingly private while raising three children in Pasadena. The couple's marriage has lasted through every career phase, from indie films to blockbusters, and Lillard's highly anticipated return in Scream 7.

Children

Matthew Lillard and Heather Helm have three children. Their eldest daughter, Addison Grace, was born on June 14, 2002, the same day Scooby-Doo premiered in theaters. "I was literally holding my newborn child, and the head of the studio called to say congratulations," Lillard recalled. "And I said, 'Yeah, she's beautiful. I can't believe it.' He's like, 'No, we just greenlit the second movie.'" Addison is studying at the USC Roski School of Art and Design.

Their second child, Macey Lyn, has shown interest in acting and theatre. The youngest of the three, Liam, is the couple's only son.

Career Highlights

Matthew Lillard was born January 24, 1970, in Lansing, Michigan. His early film roles included Serial Mom (1994) and Hackers (1995). He achieved a career breakthrough as Stu Macher in Wes Craven's Scream (1996), which established him in the mainstream. He then starred in SLC Punk! (1998), She's All That (1999), Thirteen Ghosts (2001), and Without a Paddle (2004).

Lillard portrayed Norville "Shaggy" Rogers in the live-action films Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), and became the official animated voice of Shaggy following Casey Kasem's retirement from the role in 2009. Starting in the 2010s, he took frequent dramatic roles in films such as The Descendants (2011), Trouble with the Curve (2012), and Match (2014), and starred in the NBC series Good Girls (2018-2021).

He gained renewed recognition in the 2020s for playing William Afton in the horror film Five Nights at Freddy's (2023) and its 2025 sequel, and has since starred in the fantasy drama The Life of Chuck (2025).

FAQ

Who is Matthew Lillard's wife?
His wife is Heather Helm, a luxury real estate agent in Pasadena. They married on August 26, 2000.

How long have Matthew Lillard and Heather Helm been married?
They have been married since August 26, 2000, more than 25 years.

How many children do Matthew Lillard and Heather Helm have?
They have three children: Addison Grace (born June 14, 2002), Macey Lyn, and Liam.

What does Heather Helm do for a living?
She is a luxury real estate agent in Pasadena. She previously worked as Director of Special Event Marketing for Disney before entering real estate in 2009.

How did Matthew Lillard meet his wife?
They met at a party in the late 1990s. Lillard was so taken with her that he arranged to join her trip to Italy for a friend's wedding.

For more celebrity spouse stories, see our article on celebrity marriages.