Matthew had a string of disappointing roles, all made in 1998: Dish Dogs, Senseless, and The Curve. The role to pull him out of the slump was in Robert Towne's critically acclaimed Without Limits, the true life story of runner Steve Prefontaine.
Matthew needed a scratchy voice for the role of Shaggy in Scooby-Doo, so he screamed until his voice went hoarse before filming. This practice ended up damaging his vocal chords with laryngitis.
Matthew: I enjoy playing the weird guys, someone's got to do it...and why not me? I have a certain knack for it, I look for that trait in my character, and magnify it by ten, it works.
Matthew: I was like, what the hell is my life coming to? I'm a trained actor! I've done Shakespeare and here I am having farting contests with an imaginary dog!