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Jennifer Tilly - Biography |
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Jennifer Tilly (born September 16,
1958) is an American actress and poker player. She is an Academy Award
nominee, and a World Series of Poker Ladies' Event bracelet winner.
Tilly was born Jennifer E. Chan in Harbor City, Los Angeles, California.
She is the second of four children of Harry Chan, a Chinese American used
car salesman, and Patricia Tilly, a schoolteacher and former stage
actress. Following her parents' divorce when she was five, she was raised
by her mother and stepfather, John Ward, on rural Texada Island, British
Columbia, Canada. Her mother divorced again when Tilly was a teenager, and
moved to Victoria, where Tilly attended Belmont High School. Her sister is
Academy Award-nominee, actress Meg Tilly. Jennifer Tilly began her acting
career in her teenage years through a theatre program at Stephens College
in Missouri. Tilly married Sam Simon in 1984, but they divorced in 1991.
She currently dates poker professional Phil Laak.
Tilly had small roles in TV shows and movies beginning in 1983. She had a
recurring guest role on Hill Street Blues as Gina Srignoli, a mobster's
widow who becomes romantically involved with detective Henry Goldblume.
She appeared as Garry's girlfriend on It's Garry Shandling's Show, which
aired on Showtime. She was also cast as a high end prostitute in the short
lived comedy, Key West, alongside Fisher Stevens. Tilly's breakthrough
film role was as a singing waitress in The Fabulous Baker Boys in a part
that was specially written for her by Steve Kloves. That same year, she
played a small part in the cult classic horse racing movie, Let it Ride
with Richard Dreyfuss and Teri Garr, that Tilly later said "should have
done better."
She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her
role as a hopelessly bad actress in Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway
(1994). In 1994, she also had a small role in The Getaway with Alec
Baldwin and Kim Basinger.
Tilly starred in Bound, which portrays a lesbian relationship her
character has with Gina Gershon. She played Samantha Cole in the Jim
Carrey hit Liar Liar. In 2000's Dancing at the Blue Iguana she played a
stripper and part-time dominatrix. She portrayed gossip columnist Louella
Parsons in the 2001 Peter Bogdanovich film The Cat's Meow.
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, providing the voice for Tiffany and also playing an exaggerated
version of herself.
Tilly is a semi-regular cast member on Family Guy, voicing the Griffin
family's recently unpregnant neighbor, Bonnie Swanson. She has also done
vocal work for the films Monsters, Inc., Stuart Little, and Home on the
Range, as well as the children's series Hey Arnold, In Disney's The
Haunted Mansion, she does the voice-over for Madame Leota. She has been
active in the theatre, winning a Theater World Award for her performance
in the off-Broadway play One Shoe Off. Tilly had a starring role in the US
television comedy Out of Practice starring Henry Winkler and Stockard
Channing. The cancellation of that series was announced in May 2006
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. 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 appeared in the GSN
Poker Royale series. She appeared in the third season of Poker Superstars
but was eliminated in the preliminary round. Tilly played in the Celebrity
Poker Showdown which aired June 14, 2006, on Bravo. Tilly was knocked out
in third place by Bravo’s online poker champion Ida Siconolfi (the first
non-celebrity to appear on the show) when her A♣ K♥ failed to improve
against Ida's starting hand of K♣ K♠. Tilly appears as a celebrity, rather
than a poker pro, in ESPN's Pro-Am Poker Equalizer.
In a television interview, Tilly stated that at this point in her career
she is more interested in pursuing poker than acting. As of 2008, her live
tournament winnings exceed $450,000. Tilly also appears in the World
Series of Poker Tournament of Champions 2007 Edition video game (along
with current boyfriend, Phil Laak) that was released in 2007 by
Activision. As of December 2008, Tilly retired from the pursuit of poker
as a career. In the December, 2008, edition of Bluff Magazine she says: "I
love poker but greatness in poker is an elusive dream. There are too many
variants. Trying to find validation in poker is like trying to find a
virgin in a whorehouse. I’m not giving up poker entirely — gambling is an
addiction after all. I’m just going to treat it more like a hobby and less
like a career." |
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Jennifer Tilly - Personal Quotes |
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"Everyone said that if you
want to be a real actor, go to New York. If you want to sell out, go
to LA. And I thought - I want to sell out!"
"A way you can get really good abs in film is you get your makeup
artist to paint shadows--faux washboard. But if you see me in a
movie and I have great abs, it means I have a great body double."
"Spending time with Jim on a stage is an incredibly weird
experience! I found myself unable to act seriously! Hard to shoot
with the master of comedy!"
"I still haven't made a film that defines who I am."
"If I was like some of the characters I played, I'd probably be dead
by now".
"I was the most popular person in my family. I was like a celebrity.
All my sisters would fight over who got to sleep with me. I was
always thinking up all the games, telling all the stories, and had
the best clothes. I was the entertainment. We didn't have television
and we didn't have movies, and I was always the boss. I'd write
these plays and I'd make everybody be in them. Once, I had this idea
that we'd put all the beds on top of one another so there would be
only one bed, but it would be a really big, tall bed. Then we'd take
turns sleeping on that bed while everybody else slept on the floor.
Like, for a month. Everyone thought that was a great idea. I don't
know why. I guess because we grew up way, way out in the country and
we never had any neighbors."
On her curves and her frequent cleavage baring characters; "People
are always accusing me of having implants."
[On Seed of Chucky (2004)] "It's really gruesome, but it's a
heartwarming story."
About Madonna: "We went to a club once. The doorman opened the rope
for me but closed it on Madonna - he didn't recognize her. She
wouldn't have gotten in, but I put in a good word for her." (In
Style magazine, Sept/2006) |
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Jennifer Tilly - Filmography |
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Renaissance Girl (2010) ....
Martha
The Secret Lives of Dorks (2010) .... Ms. Stewart
30 Beats (2010) .... Erika
The Making of Plus One (2009) .... Amber
"The Cleveland Show" .... Bonnie Swanson (1 episode, 2009)
- Pilot (2009) TV episode (voice) .... Bonnie Swanson
"Family Guy" .... Bonnie Swanson (21 episodes, 1999-2009)
... aka Padre de familia (USA: Spanish title)
- Stew-Roids (2009) TV episode (voice) .... Bonnie Swanson
- FOX-y Lady (2009) TV episode (voice) .... Bonnie Swanson
- Ocean's Three and a Half (2009) TV episode (voice) .... Bonnie
Swanson
- Long John Peter (2008) TV episode (voice) .... Bonnie Swanson
- Stewie Kills Lois (2007) TV episode (voice) .... Bonnie Swanson
(16 more)
Baiyin diguo (2009)
... aka Empire of Silver (International: English title)
Imps* (2009) .... Joni (segment "Sale on Professional Men")
An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong (2009) (V) .... Mrs. Rundell
Return to Babylon (2008) .... Clara Bow
Inconceivable (2008)
Bart Got a Room (2008) .... Internet date
The Caretaker (2008/I) .... Miss Perry
Deal (2008/I) .... Karen 'Razor' Jones
Intervention (2007/I)
The Initiation of Sarah (2006) (TV) .... Dr. Eugenia Hunter
Family Guy (2006) (VG) (voice) .... Bonnie Swanson
"Out of Practice" .... Crystal (13 episodes, 2005-2006)
- Doctor of the Year (2006) TV episode .... Crystal
- Model Behavior (2006) TV episode .... Crystal
- Yours, Mine or His? (2006) TV episode .... Crystal
- Doctors Without Bidders (2006) TV episode .... Crystal
- New Year's Eve (2005) TV episode .... Crystal
(8 more)
Tideland (2005) .... Queen Gunhilda
The Civilization of Maxwell Bright (2005) .... Dr. O'Shannon
Lil' Pimp (2005) (V) (voice) .... Miss De La Croix
Bailey's Billion$ (2005) .... Dolores Pennington
Seed of Chucky (2004) .... Tiffany / Herself
Love on the Side (2004) .... Alma Kerns
... aka Deluxe Combo Platter (Canada: English title)
... aka Love on the Side (USA: DVD title)
A Dairy Tale (2004) (V) (voice) .... Grace
Saint Ralph (2004) .... Nurse Alice
El padrino (2004) .... Sebeva
... aka El padrino: The Latin Godfather (USA: DVD title)
"Frasier" .... Kim (1 episode, 2004)
- Miss Right Now (2004) TV episode .... Kim
Home on the Range (2004) (voice) .... Grace
Perfect Opposites (2004) .... Elyse Steinberg
... aka A Piece of My Heart (USA: TV title)
Second Best (2004) .... Carole
Nowhere to Go But Up (2003) .... Edna
... aka Happy End (France) (Germany) (USA)
... aka I Want to Be Famous (Singapore: English title)
The Haunted Mansion (2003) .... Madame Leota
... aka Disney's The Haunted Mansion (USA: complete title)
Hollywood North (2003) .... Gillian Stevens
Jericho Mansions (2003) .... Donna Cherry
... aka House of Jericho (Europe: English title: DVD box title)
Monsters, Inc. (2002) (VG) (voice) .... Celia Mae
Stage on Screen: The Women (2002) (TV) .... Crystal Allen
The Magnificent Ambersons (2002) (TV) .... Fanny Minafer
The Kid (2001) (TV) (voice) .... Waitress
... aka Gahan Wilson's The Kid (USA: complete title)
Monsters, Inc. (2001) (voice) .... Celia
Ball in the House (2001) .... Dot
... aka Relative Evil (Australia: DVD title) (USA: DVD title)
The Cat's Meow (2001) .... Louella Parsons
Fast Sofa (2001) .... Ginger Quail
Sister Mary Explains It All (2001) (TV) .... Philomena Rostovich
Dirt (2001) .... Hooker
... aka Dumber Than Dirt (USA: video title)
"Pigs Next Door" (2000) TV series (voice)
... aka Muca Beal Dorais (Ireland: Irish Gaelic title)
Dancing at the Blue Iguana (2000) .... Jo
The Crew (2000/I) .... Ferris 'aka Maureen' Lowenstein
"Hey Arnold!" .... Lola (1 episode, 2000)
- Suspended/Ernie in Love (2000) TV episode (voice) .... Lola
Bruno (2000) .... Dolores
... aka The Dress Code (USA: alternative title)
Cord (2000) .... Helen
... aka Hide and Seek (UK: video title) (USA: video title)
... aka Jeu mortel (Canada: French title)
Stuart Little (1999) (voice) .... Mrs. Camille Stout
Bartok the Magnificent (1999) (V) (voice) .... Piloff
Do Not Disturb (1999) .... Cathryn Richmond
... aka Do not disturb - Zwei Augen zu viel (Germany)
... aka Silent Witness (USA: video title)
Goosed (1999) .... Charlene Silver
Bride of Chucky (1998) .... Tiffany
"Sin City Spectacular" (1 episode)
... aka Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular (USA: alternative
title)
- Episode #1.11 (????) TV episode
Hoods (1998) .... Mary Crippa
Relax... It's Just Sex (1998) .... Tara Ricotto
Music from Another Room (1998) .... Nina
Bella Mafia (1997) (TV) .... Moyra Luciano
The Wrong Guy (1997) .... Lynn Holden
"Gun" .... Phyllis (1 episode, 1997)
... aka Robert Altman's Gun
- All the President's Women (1997) TV episode .... Phyllis
Liar Liar (1997) .... Samantha Cole
American Strays (1996) .... Patty Mae
Bound (1996) .... Violet
House Arrest (1996) .... Cindy Figler
The Pompatus of Love (1996) .... Tarzaan
... aka The Pompatus of Love (France: TV title)
Edie & Pen (1996) .... Edie Piper
... aka Desert Gamble (UK: TV title)
Man with a Gun (1995) .... Rena Rushton/Kathy Payne
... aka Gun for Hire (Australia)
... aka Hired for Killing
Bird of Prey (1995) .... Kily Griffith
... aka Хищна птица (Bulgaria: Bulgarian title)
Embrace of the Vampire (1995) .... Marika
... aka The Nosferatu Diaries: Embrace of the Vampire (USA:
alternative title)
Bullets Over Broadway (1994) .... Olive Neal
Double Cross (1994) .... Melissa
The Getaway (1994) .... Fran Carvey
"Key West" .... Savannah Sumner / ... (13 episodes, 1993)
- Heavy Metal, Heavy Hearts (1993) TV episode .... Savannah Sumner
- The System (1993) TV episode .... Savannah Sumner
- Compadres (1993) TV episode .... Savannah Sumner
- We the People (1993) TV episode .... Savannah Sumners
- Crossroads (1993) TV episode .... Savannah Sumner
(8 more)
Made in America (1993) .... Stacy
Heads (1993) (TV) .... Tina Abbot
The Webbers (1993) (TV) .... Miranda Webber
... aka At Home with the Webbers
... aka Webber's World
Shadow of the Wolf (1992) .... Igiyook
... aka Agaguk (Canada: French title)
"Dream On" .... Ryan (1 episode, 1992)
- What Women Want (1992) TV episode .... Ryan
Scorchers (1991) .... Talbot
... aka Jumper: Hot Lover (Philippines: English title)
The Doors (1991) (uncredited) .... Okie Girl
The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) .... Blanche 'Monica' Moran
Let It Ride (1989) .... Vicki
Far from Home (1989) .... Amy
"Moonlighting" .... Nurse Saundra (1 episode, 1989)
- Plastic Fantastic Lovers (1989) TV episode .... Nurse Saundra
High Spirits (1988) .... Miranda
Rented Lips (1988) .... Mona Lisa
Remote Control (1988) .... Allegra James
Johnny Be Good (1988) .... Connie Hisler
"It's Garry Shandling's Show." .... Angelica (2 episodes, 1987)
- It's Garry and Angelica's Show: Part 2 (1987) TV episode ....
Angelica
- It's Garry and Angelica's Show: Part 1 (1987) TV episode ....
Angelica
He's My Girl (1987) .... Lisa
Inside Out (1987) .... Amy
"Cheers" .... Candi Pearson (1 episode, 1986)
- Second Time Around (1986) TV episode .... Candi Pearson
"Stir Crazy" .... Karen (1 episode, 1986)
- Basic Straining (1986) TV episode .... Karen
"Remington Steele" .... Eva Wilson (1 episode, 1985)
- Dancer, Prancer, Donner and Steele (1985) TV episode .... Eva
Wilson
Moving Violations (1985) .... Amy Hopkins
"Hill Street Blues" .... Gina Srignoli (6 episodes, 1984-1985)
- Queen for a Day (1985) TV episode .... Gina Srignoli
- The Life and Time of Dominic Florio Jr. (1985) TV episode ....
Gina Srignoli
- El Capitan (1985) TV episode .... Gina Srignoli
- Passage to Libya (1985) TV episode .... Gina Srignoli
- Davenport in a Storm (1985) TV episode .... Gina Srignoli
(1 more)
No Small Affair (1984) .... Mona
"Shaping Up" .... Shannon Winters (4 episodes, 1984)
- Mixed Nuts (1984) TV episode .... Shannon Winters
- Defusing the Muse (1984) TV episode .... Shannon Winters
- Ex Pede Hercuelum (1984) TV episode .... Shannon Winters
- Baby Be Mine (1984) TV episode .... Shannon Winters
"Boone" .... Sonia (1 episode, 1983)
- Words and Music (1983) TV episode .... Sonia
"Oh Madeline" .... Laurie (1 episode, 1983)
- Madeline Acts Forward at the Retreat (1983) TV episode .... Laurie |
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Jennifer Tilly - Related Links |
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Wikipedia: Jennifer Tilly
YouTube: Jennifer Tilly
Jennifer Tilly
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