AI "Actress" Tilly Norwood Sparks Outrage in Hollywood
AI-generated “actress” Tilly Norwood, created by Dutch producer Eline Van der Velden, is making waves — and not in a good way. Designed to mimic a young Gen Z performer, Tilly has built a social media presence full of headshots, fake screen tests, and captions like: “I may be AI, but I'm feeling very real emotions right now.” Another boasts: “In 20 seconds I fought monsters, fled explosions, sold you a car, and nearly won an Oscar. All in a day’s work… literally! Find yourself an actress who can do it all.”
But her charm hasn’t worked on everyone.
The backlash exploded after Deadline reported that Van der Velden had pitched her AI production company, Particle6, and her new AI talent agency Xicoia, at a film industry summit in Zurich. She claimed Hollywood agencies were now seriously considering AI talent, and that announcements could come soon.
The SAG-AFTRA union condemned the move, saying Tilly is “not an actor,” but a character trained on the work of real performers “without permission or compensation.” They warned her use could breach contracts won after the 2023 strikes. “It doesn't solve any 'problem' — it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry,” the union said.
A-listers chimed in too. Emily Blunt, shown a video of Tilly on a podcast, said; “That is really, really scary. Come on, agencies, don't do that. Please stop taking away our human connection.” Natasha Lyonne called the project “deeply misguided & totally disturbed,” urging a boycott of any agency that signs AI talentWhoopi Goldberg, , and on The View, added: “Our faces move differently, our bodies move differently. Audiences can tell the difference.”
Van der Velden defended the project in a joint Instagram post: “She is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work — a piece of art. Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories.” She also argued that AI characters should be judged as “part of their own genre” and not directly compared to human actors.
The Tilly saga comes at a time when tensions around AI in entertainment are still raw. Last year’s strikes by writers and actors were driven in part by concerns about AI being used to replicate performances without consent. While recent union deals include safeguards, they don’t apply to outside creators like Van der Velden — or prevent studios from using AI tools not covered by agreements.
Whether Tilly Norwood is a glimpse into the future of entertainment or just a PR stunt is still up for debate. But one thing is clear: the line between imagination and imitation is getting blurrier — and Hollywood isn’t sure whether to laugh, cry, or lawyer up.
