Every Hollywood career is different and there are thousands of fascinating stars whose story is different from the norm. Not everyone can take home gold statuettes or make blockbuster millions, but that’s not the only career on offer.
Some actors earn a good living through many decades and hundreds of films without ever reaching the A-list. Some step in and out of the movies, letting acting be just one string of a much wider-ranging bow.
Other actors make one character so much their own the world can’t imagine anyone else playing the part. There is no one career path when it comes to film and television, and Jennifer Tilly is testament to that.
A Unique Career
Jennifer Tilly’s movie career can certainly be called unique, and acting isn’t the only way she brings in the cash. To date, Tilly has earned more than $1 million and a fearsome reputation from playing live poker tournaments.
Born in Harbor City, Los Angeles, Jennifer Tilly’s birth name was Jennifer Ellen Chan. Her father was of Chinese descent and her mother’s ancestors came from Ireland and Finland in Europe.
At the age of five, Tilly was taken to Canada by her mother when her parents divorced. She remained in British Columbia and Victoria until following high school when she left home to pursue an acting career.
Tilly became interested in poker early when her card-playing father gave her the video game World Series of Poker. With encouragement from her then-boyfriend, she began competing in 2003, the year following 888poker started to operate in Ontario.
Early Years
Both of Jennifer Tilly’s careers began to blossom around 1983 when she moved to Hollywood and met her first husband. She earned a recurring role on Hills Street Blues while learning the ropes of live poker at home.
Highlights of Tilly’s early acting career included The Fabulous Baker Boys, the lesbian noir movie Bound, and Bullets Over Broadway. The latter earned Tilly an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, narrowly missing out to her co-star Dianne Wiest.
Child’s Play
There is one role, however, which Jennifer Tilly has become associated with more than any other. She first played Tiffany Valentine, the murderous ex-girlfriend of Child’s Play’s demon doll, Chucky, in 1998’s Bride of Chucky.
Over the following 24 years, four movies and a television series, Jennifer Tilly and Tiffany Valentine have become almost inseparable. Through a combination of voice roles and live-action performances, Tilly has made the bloodthirsty character a legend with horror fans.
Between Bride of Chucky and its sequel, Seed of Chucky, Jennifer Tilly began taking her poker playing more seriously. On December 8, 2003, Tilly finished runner-up at the WPT Hollywood Home Game III in Los Angeles, winning $5000.
Big Wins
A year following the release of Seed of Chucky, Tilly shocked the poker world with her first major tournament win. At the $ 1,000 Ladies-Only No-Limit Hold’em at the 2005 World Series of Poker, Tilly won $158,335.
Three months later, Tilly won first place and $25,000 at the 2005 Legends of Poker Ladies Night in LA. Proving to be just as talented at the table as she is on screen, Tilly has been winning ever since.
Nicknamed The Unabombshell, or J Tilla the Killa, Jennifer Tilly brings much of her acting persona to the poker world. Push-up bras and low-cut tops are part of Tilly’s playing arsenal, though she admits serious players are rarely distracted.
To date, Tilly has amassed poker winnings exceeding $1,000,000 over a 15-year worldwide playing career. Acting took a back seat during the early tournament years, but Tilly soon returned to her screen career.
Still On Screen
Alongside her role as Tiffany Valentine, Jennifer Tilly has played numerous other movie characters, including roles in several poker movies. In more recent years, however, the Child’s Play actor has become better known for her television and voice work.
Since 1999, Tilly has voiced Bonnie Swanson in Family Guy, Seth Macfarlane’s long-running adult animated sitcom. In 2001, Tilly became the voice of Celia Mae in Monsters, Inc, a role she revived for television in 2021.
Monsters at Work, a modern spin-off from the original Pixar movie, began streaming on Disney+ in July 2021. Jennifer Tilly was asked to reprise her portrayal of Celia Mae and was given a recurring role in the series.
After guest appearances in The Simpsons, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and more, Tilly has returned to Child’s Play. Chucky, developed by Syfy and USA Network in collaboration with Child’s Play’s original creator, Don Mancini, premiered in 2021.
Jennifer Tilly had originally believed she was simply being invited to the studio to make a nostalgic cameo appearance. As more members of earlier Child’s Play casts came on board, Tilly’s involvement quickly grew into something more substantial.
Staying Sexy
Now aged 63, Tilly is defying Hollywood ageism by continuing to play a provocative and sexy role in the series. “[Don] always writes Tiffany as hot and sexy and gives her interesting, not age-appropriate things to do,” explained Tilly.
“There’s a little bit of me that says, ‘How much longer can I play Tiffany?’” said the actor. “But then,” she laughed, ”there’s the other part that doesn’t want to be left out.”
Just for Fun
While she still plays poker for the thrill of it, Tilly now sees it in a much less competitive way. “I’m not giving up poker entirely,” she says. “I’m just going to treat it more like a hobby.”
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