Hollywood Stars Rally Against Controversial AI Actor Tilly Norwood

Sun Oct 12 2025 11:08:29 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A backlash erupts in the film industry as celebrities express outrage over the emergence of Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actor. Figures like Emily Blunt and Whoopi Goldberg voice their concerns about the implications of AI in acting.

The rise of Tilly Norwood, an AI actor conceived by Dutch creators, has sparked significant backlash from Hollywood's elite. Notable stars like Emily Blunt and Natasha Lyonne have criticized the character, warning against the encroachment of AI on the art of acting. SAG-AFTRA has also spoken out, stating that Norwood lacks the emotional depth of human performers and could disrupt contractual agreements secured after recent labor strikes. Amid these protests, the creators defend their AI work as a new form of creativity, not a replacement for human actors.

Hollywood is not rolling out the red carpet for Tilly Norwood – an AI actor that has been causing a stir after its Dutch creators said the synthetic performer is in talks with talent agencies.

Norwood could be mistaken for a young, aspiring actress when one glances at its social media. The brunette poses for photos and showcases a fully AI-generated comedy sketch, where it is described as having girl next door vibes.

I may be AI, but I'm feeling very real emotions right now, Tilly's creators wrote on her page. I am so excited for what's coming next!

Hollywood's powerful actors union has condemned the creation, along with A-list stars like Emily Blunt, Natasha Lyonne and Whoopi Goldberg.

Norwood is not an actor, it's a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA, said in a statement.

The AI actor was created by Dutch actor and comedian Eline Van der Velden, who reportedly said she wanted Norwood to become the next Scarlett Johansson. The BBC has reached out to Van der Velden and her company, Particle6.

Amid the anger and backlash in Hollywood, the Dutch creator posted on Tilly's Instagram page to say that the creation is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art.

AI has been a hotly contested technology in Hollywood and was a key sticking point during labor strikes that shut down the industry two years ago as writers and actors demanded protections from the technology.

Actress and filmmaker Natasha Lyonne stated that anyone who works with Norwood should be boycotted.

While Norwood's Instagram has been active for months, her existence gained notoriety in Hollywood this week after trade publication Deadline reported on a summit her creator presented at in Zurich over the weekend.