Jennifer Tilly

Jennifer Tilly
Tilly at the 2024 WonderCon
Born
Jennifer Ellen Chan

(1958-09-16) September 16, 1958 (age 66)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materStephens College
Occupations
  • Actress
  • poker player
Years active1983–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1984; div. 1991)​
PartnerPhil Laak (2004–present)
RelativesMeg Tilly (sister)

Jennifer Tilly (born Jennifer Ellen Chan; September 16, 1958)[1] is an American-Canadian actress and professional poker player.[2] Known for her distinctive breathy voice and comedic timing,[3][4] she is the recipient of a Saturn Award, a Fantasporto Award, and a GLAAD Award, as well as nominations for an American Comedy Award, a Gemini Award, two MTV Movie Awards, and an Academy Award.

Following a succession of small parts in film and on television throughout the mid-late 1980s, Tilly made her feature film breakthrough with a supporting role as Olive Neal in Bullets Over Broadway (1994), for which she was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.[5] She subsequently earned acclaim for her portrayal of Violet, a lesbian femme fatale, in Bound (1996). Tilly rose to widespread recognition when she played Tiffany Valentine in Bride of Chucky (1998), reprising the character in several more installments of the Child's Play film series,[6] as well as the Syfy/USA show Chucky (2021–2024). Her association with the franchise has established her as a pop culture icon and scream queen.[7][8] Since 1999, Tilly has voiced Bonnie Swanson on the Fox animated sitcom Family Guy.

Tilly's other film credits include The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), Made in America (1993), Liar Liar (1997), Music from Another Room (1998), Stuart Little (1999), The Cat's Meow (2001), Monsters, Inc. (2001), The Haunted Mansion (2003), Home on the Range (2004), and Tideland (2005). On stage, she appeared in the Broadway revivals of The Women (2001) and Don't Dress for Dinner (2012), and was the recipient of a Theatre World Award in 1993 for her performance in the off-Broadway play One Shoe Off.

Tilly is a World Series of Poker bracelet winner, the first celebrity to win such a tournament.[9] She won the third World Poker Tour Ladies Invitational Tournament in 2005, and was nominated for PokerListings' Spirit of Poker Living Legend Award in 2014.[10] As of 2019, her live tournament winnings exceeded $1 million.[11]

  1. ^ "Jennifer Tilly @Jtillathekilla2". Twitter. April 18, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  2. ^ McCarthy, Tyler (November 16, 2022). "Jennifer Tilly Inducted Into The Women In Poker Hall Of Fame". USA Network. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  3. ^ "Jennifer Tilly: Little voice, big talent". The Independent. November 19, 2004. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  4. ^ Hanke, Ken (November 8, 2006). "Thoroughly modern Tilly". Mountain Xpress. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  5. ^ "Jennifer Tilly created her own Oscar buzz around 'Bullets Over Broadway' performance". Ora TV. September 4, 2019. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  6. ^ Gardner, Chris (June 6, 2017). "Jennifer Tilly Will Probably Be 'in Every Chucky Movie Till the End of Time'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  7. ^ "How Chucky's Killer Bride Jennifer Tilly Became An Unexpected Horror Icon". TooFab.com. October 4, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  8. ^ Macias, Gil (October 10, 2017). "The Glorious Return of Horror Icon Jennifer Tilly". Playboy Sweden. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference NBC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "Jennifer Tilly: "I Want People to Remember Me as a Good Poker Player"". PokerListings.com. June 11, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).