Matthew Lillard was hired as an extra for Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College (1991) the summer after high school. Matthew was the MC of the Nickelodeon program SK8 TV (1990) in 1989. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, California. With a friend he started the Mean Street Ensemble theater company, which functioned until 1991, when he moved to New York City to attend the theater school Circle in the Square. Manager Bill Treusch got him auditions for Serial Mom (1994) and he was cast as Chip. He also began another theater company, The Summoners.