Jennifer Tilly

Jennifer Tilly

Active - 1984 - 2019  |   Born - Sep 16, 1958 in Harbor City, California, United States  |   Genres - Comedy, Drama, Romance

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Biography by AllMovie

A raven-haired actress with an unmistakable voice, Jennifer Tilly was born in Los Angeles, CA, in 1958. Following her parents' divorce when she was five, Tilly relocated with her mother and siblings to the rural setting of Texada Island, British Columbia, where she'd spend most of her childhood. Tilly's acting career began in the early '80s with small roles on shows like Hill Street Blues and Cheers. Her big break came with the part of Monica the singing waitress in 1989's The Fabulous Baker Boys -- a part that was written for her specifically. Though she divorced Simpsons producer Sam Simon in 1984, she continued to show up in films like The Doors and Body Snatchers throughout the '90s, and in 1994 she was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway. Another memorable role came in 1996, when she acted opposite Gina Gershon in the erotically charged Bound.

In 1998, Tilly delighted horror fans with a tongue-in-cheek turn in Bride of Chucky, voicing the title role and helping to bring a comic twist to the franchise. She soon found another avenue for her comedic voice talents by joining the cast of the animated series Family Guy as the show's perpetually pregnant neighbor, Bonnie. She then went on to lend her voice talent to such titles as Monsters, Inc., Stuart Little, and The Haunted Mansion. In 2005, Tilly won a World Series of Poker bracelet and a cash prize of 158,625 dollars in the Ladies' No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em event. She went on to win the third World Poker Tour Ladies Invitational Tournament and subsequently become a popular and formidable competitor in the world of high-stakes poker as well as the wife of professional poker player Phil Laak.

She continued to work steadily in a variety of projects including Tideland, Deal, and Empire of Silver.

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Factsheet

  • Appeared in an episode of Cheers, where Frasier proposes to her character after one date.
  • In 1989, she got her first big role in The Fabulous Baker Boys, playing a singing waitress, performing a rendition of "The Candy Man."
  • Woody Allen directed her to continuously talk, even when in the background, for her Oscar-nominated role in 1994's Bullets Over Broadway. 
  • Has a recurring part in the Child's Play horror/comedy franchise, as Chucky's girlfriend Tiffany.
  • Won the ladies no-limit Texas Hold 'Em tournament at the World Series of Poker in 2005.
  • In December 2008, announced her retirement from the poker circuit as a career, but continued to play in numerous tournaments thereafter.