'I have zero interest': Freddie Prinze Jr reveals he 'regrets' playing Fred Jones and won't return for third 'Scooby Doo' sequel
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Freddie Prinze Jr "regrets" his live-action role in 'Scooby Doo' as he recalls miserable experiences on the set. The actor revealed he will not return for a third sequel to the previous two films with Mystery Inc and said it "wouldn't be something I would do," adding, "I have zero interest, it was tricky,"
The 47-year-old actor, who played the role of Fred Jones, said, "It wouldn't be for me, man. There was too much bait-and-switch on the first one. The studio was not honest with me in any way, shape, or form. They were not straightforward. I've been on two jobs where I've had regret doing it, and Scooby was one of them," reported People.
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'It made me change my outlook on it'
Talking about the 2002 adventure comedy movie, Prinze Jr said that he did not "fully appreciate" the film until he saw its impact on young fans which had a sequel titled 'Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed', which was released in 2004. "Then, all of a sudden, I was like, 'Hey man, we did good. There are legit millions of people who love this movie. It's not the movie I wanted to make, but I appreciate that. And it made me change my outlook on it," said the actor in an interview with TooFab.
In May 2022, James Gunn, the director of the previous two adaptations, replied to a fan's tweet which suggested a third sequel to reunite the gang for Scooby's funeral. "Like The Big Chill with Scooby-Doo? Ok. I'm in," responded Gunn.
Prinze recalls another 'difficult' time as an actor
The' Wrestling with Freddie' podcast host opened up about a "difficult job" as he recalled that Jim Gillespie, the director of 'I Know What You Did Last Summer', wanted "a different actor" to play his role of Ray Bronson.
"He was very direct in the fact that, 'I don't want you in this movie.' So when that's your first job and you hear those words, it just wrecks you, man. It just wrecks you. I wanted to fight that guy two or three different times," he added.
The screenwriter said that his role as Fred Joe "launched my whole career" and also introduced him to Sarah Michelle-Gellar, his future wife and co-star who starred opposite him in the 'Scooby-Doo' franchise through her role as Daphne Blake. Freddie said these factors make him not "upset" with the film. The duo got married on September 1, 2002.
"I wouldn't have any of the things I have without that movie, I wouldn't have my wife, I wouldn't have all the other movies I've done, I wouldn't have this podcast I'm here because of that struggle, and because of that pain and it was those things," he said.