Jennifer Tilly

Publicity shot of Tilly in Bound

Jennifer Tilly (born September 16, 1958) is an Academy Award nominated American born actress.

Early life

Jennifer Tilly was born Jennifer E. Chan in Harbor City, California. Her father was a Chinese stockbroker. Tilly is her mother's maiden name. Jennifer and her two sisters, Meg Tilly and Rebecca Tilly, were brought up in rural British Columbia, Canada. Jennifer began her acting career in her teenage years through a theatre program at Stephens Collage in Missouri.

Acting Career

Her breakthrough film role was as a singing waitress in The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) in a part that was specially written for her by Steve Kloves. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role as a hopelessly bad actress in Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway (1994).

Tilly gained some additional popularity in recent years for providing voice-over work as killer doll Tiffany for the Child's Play series of movies. In the most recent installment, Seed of Chucky, she plays a dual role, not only providing the voice for Tiffany, but also playing an exaggerated version of herself. She also played the wife of a murdered Italian Mafia son in Bella Mafia with Dennis Farina.

Tilly has also appeared in Bound, which revolves around a lesbian relationship her character has with Gina Gershon. In the movie, the two actresses engage in lesbian sex scene that is considered one of the most famous in the history of film.

Tilly is a semi-regular cast member on Family Guy, voicing the Griffin family's neighbor, Bonnie. She has also done vocal work for the film Monsters, Inc., the children's series Hey Arnold, Stuart Little and The Haunted Mansion, where she does the voice over for Madame Leota and works from the neck up. She has been active in the theatre, winning a Theater World Award for her performance in the off-Broadway play One Shoe Off.

Jennifer Tilly has 3 new projects for 2006, The Poker movie, The Funny Farm and a remake of The Initiation of Sarah for TV.

Poker

On June 27, 2005, Tilly won a World Series of Poker bracelet (and $158,625) in the Ladies' No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em event, outlasting 600 other players. This was especially astounding because it was not a celebrity open, and she is the first celebrity to win a World Series of Poker event. She followed up this accomplishment on September 1, 2005 by also winning the third World Poker Tour Ladies Invitational Tournament held at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles.

Tilly has also appeared in the Poker Royale series, and is currently appearing in the third season of Poker Superstars. She also played in the Celebrity Poker Showdown which aired June 14th on Bravo.

Private Life

Tilly married The Simpsons producer Sam Simon in 1984, but they divorced in 1991.

Tilly is currently dating poker professional Phil "Unabomber" Laak and is nicknamed "The Unabombshell" within the poker circuit.

Selected filmography

No Small Affair (1984)
Moving Violations (1985)
Johnny Be Good (1988)
High Spirits (1988)
Let It Ride (1989)
The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)
The Doors (1991)
Scorchers (1991)
Shadow of the Wolf (1992)
Made in America (1993)
Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
Embrace of the Vampire (1994)
The Getaway (1994)
Bound (1996)
Liar Liar (1997)
Edie & Pen (1997)
The Wrong Guy (1997)
Bride of Chucky (1998) (voice)
Stuart Little (1999) (voice)
The Crew (2000)
Monsters, Inc. (2001) (voice)
The Cat's Meow (2001)
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Jericho Mansions (2003)
Home on the Range (2004) (voice)
Seed of Chucky (2004)
Lil' Pimp (2005) (voice)
The Funny Farm (2006) (Post Production)
The Poker Movie (2006) (Filming)
The Initiation of Sarah (2006) (In Filming)(TV)

Awards & Nominations

Awards

Theater World Award Most Promising Newcomer For her work in Tina Howe's play "One Shoe Off"
Dramalogue Award For her work in the play "Vaniti"
Gemini Award For Best Actress For her role in showtimes's made for TV Film "Heads"
Fanta Festival Best Actress For her role in Bride Of Chucky
Fantasporto International Fantasy Film Award Best Actress For her role in Bound

Nominations

MTV Movie Award Best Frightened Performance (Seed of Chucky)
Oscar Best Actress In Supporting Role (Bullets Over Broadway)
Academy Of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films USA Best Actress ( Bride Of Chucky)
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, Favourite Supporting Comedy Actress
Academy Of Science Fiction, Fantasty & Horror Films USA Best Supporting Actress (Bound)
MTV Movie Award Best Kiss (With Gina Gershon)

External links