Jennifer Tilly Biography – Age, Family Life, Net Worth

Career

Soon after graduation, Tilly arrived in New York to become a part of the thriving theater scene there. She avoided going to Los Angeles for a long time, but when theater failed to provide her with sufficient bread and butter, she had to move to Los Angeles to seek her fortune. Her first few years were spent developing her art on the stage while paying the bills with odd jobs.

Tilly made her TV debut in the short-lived series Boone, and her film debut the following year in No Small Affair. She then appeared in a number of small roles in Inside Out, Johnny Be Good, and High Spirits.

She spent the 1980s playing roles that did not utilize the gorgeously good actor that she was. However, she kept working in the hope of finding better roles someday. There was a time when she felt that she had “sold herself out” to the glitzy world of Hollywood and that she was better off doing theater back in New York.

However, the year 1989 witnessed her appearing in The Fabulous Baker Boys. She portrayed the role of a failing singer in the film. The director later said that he had written the role keeping Jennifer in mind. This was a huge compliment, and it meant that the minor roles that she had come to despise were actually getting her noticed.

After her remarkable role in The Fabulous Baker Boys, her career experienced a steep climb. In one of her most memorable appearances, she starred in Woody Allen’s satirical comedy-drama film Bullets over Broadway. To be a part of a film by the master director was in itself a massive breakthrough for her career.

She received an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actress for her role as a bad and failing actor in Bullets over Broadway. However, she lost the award to Dianne Weist, who also happened to be her co-star in the same film.

Soon, Jennifer got acquainted with better directors and signed with the Wachowskis for the film Bound in 1996, in which she played a lesbian. The sexually charged film was a hit with the film festivals and Jennifer became a hot, young actor who got offered more roles by some of the biggest directors of that time.

She was hell-bent on choosing her roles with caution. In 1997, she turned to comedy with Jim Carrey’s Liar Liar. The film achieved massive international success, and Jennifer’s character, Samantha Cole, became a cult figure.

In 2000, Dancing at Blue Iguana followed, in which she essayed the role of a stripper and a part-time dominatrix. The film was a success, and Jennifer’s performance received accolades.

She then appeared in a number of popular films such as the Child’s Play movie series. She debuted in the fourth installment of the franchise and portrayed serial killer Tiffany Ray. Tilly has appeared in all the subsequent installments, namely, Bride of Chucky, Seed of Chucky, Curse of Chucky, and the latest sequel, Cult of Chucky.

Throughout the years, Tilly has continued to balance their film career with television and theater. On the small screen she has starred in Key West, and Heads, for which she earned a Gemini Award nomination for Best Actress. She has also worked on the series Shaping Up and has had recurring roles on Hill Street Blues, The Garry Shandling Show, and appearances on Moonlighting, Cheers, and Dream On. She also voices the character Bonnie Swanson on the popular animated series Family Guy. In 2012, her voice once again made it to the big screen with the re-release Monsters, Inc. 3D – she provided the voice for Celia in the original 2001 film.

She had a starring role in the sitcom Out of Practice, which starred Henry Winkler and Stockard Channing. The series was canceled in May 2006. About this time, Tilly started dividing her time between her film career and professional poker. By the end of 2008, she returned to her film and television career. In 2009, Tilly made her Chinese film debut in the Christina Yao film Empire of Silver playing Mrs. Landdeck.

In 2012, she returned to Broadway in Don’t Dress for Dinner, garnering an Audience Choice Award nomination for her portrayal of mistress Suzanne. In 2013, she starred in the Wallace Shawn/Andre Gregory collaboration Grasses of a Thousand Colors which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2009 and then moved to the Joseph Papp Theater in 2013. She regularly appeared in the comedy revue Celebrity Autobiography.

In September 2012, Tilly is going to appear in Eric Balfour’s feature film directorial debut Walk to Vegas.

Apart from being an actor, Jennifer also happens to be a highly competent poker player.

In 2005, Jennifer won the Ladies’ No-Limit Texas Hold’em event at the World Series of Poker. She bested 600 other players, winning $158,335 (which is still her biggest win to date). In September of the same year, she won the third World Poker Tour Ladies Invitational Tournament at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, winning $25,000. At this point in her poker career, she had only cashed twice in major poker events, finishing first both times! In a television interview that same year, she stated that at that point in her career she was more interested in pursuing a poker career than acting.

Although she has continued to cash in major events, she has only had one other six-figure payout. In July 2010, Tilly won a $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em tournament at the 6th Bellagio Cup, winning $124,455.

After failing to achieve the same level of success as she experienced in 2005, Tilly announced her retirement from poker as a career in 2008. In January 2010, she resumed her poker career, was nominated for PokerListing’s spirit of poker living legend award 2014, and as of June 2017, Tilly’s live tournament winnings exceeded $992,000.

Achievements

Tilly came to prominence when she received an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Olive Neal in Woody Allen’s 1994 film Bullets over Broadway. She earned further acclaim, as well as Saturn Award and MTV Award nominations, for her performance in the Wachowskis’ 1996 neo-noir thriller Bound.

Tilly was the recipient of a Theatre World Award in 1993 for her performance in the Off-Broadway play One Shoe Off. Tilly is also a World Series of Poker Ladies’ Event bracelet winner, the first celebrity to win a World Series tournament.

Personal Life