đŹđ€ Hollywood just met its first AI superstar â Tilly Norwood. Introduced at the Zurich Film Festival, the digital actress has already landed a sitcom role, signed up thousands of fans online, and caught the attention of top talent agents.
But along with hype has come heavy backlash from actors and unions who fear AI could replace human performers.
Who is Tilly Norwood?
Created by Eline Van der Velden, actress and producer, through her AI studio Xicoia, Tilly is designed as a fully digital performer. Within weeks of her debut, she gained over 35,000 Instagram followers, rolled out âscreen testâ clips, and announced her first role in a comedy sketch called AI Commissioner.
Van der Velden insists the project is an art experiment, not a human replacement, comparing AI to tools like CGI or animation.
The Backlash
Reactions have been explosive â SAG -AFTRA, the U.S. actorsâ union, condemned Tilly as a âcomputer program trained on real actorsâ work without consent or compensation.âEmily Blunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Melissa Barrera, and Natasha Lyonneslammed the move, warning it devalues human talent.
Actress Briony Monroe even claimed her face may have been used to shape Norwoodâs look.Others mocked the idea â actor Lukas Gage joked Tilly was âlate to set,â while Toni Collette simply dropped screaming emojis.
The Creatorâs Vision
Despite the outrage, Van der Velden remains confident. She wants Norwood to become “the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman.âShe argues AI talent can open new creative doors at a time when Hollywood is battling rising costs and limited opportunities.
Whatâs Next?
Tilly Norwood is just getting started. With an agency deal on the way and more AI-driven projects planned, she may mark the beginning of a new era in entertainment â whether Hollywood likes it or not.
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