Jennifer TillyShe is well-known for her portrayal of the murderous doll Tiffany. Chucky franchise, but she hasn’t always been an outspoken scream queen.
“I was shy as a child,” the pro poker player, 64, exclusively told Us Weekly, adding that she would “hyperventilate” when she had to present book reports at school.
These days, however, the California native isn’t so bashful anymore — and says portraying Tiffany on Syfy’s ChuckySeries is a thrilling experience. “I love playing Tiffany because she’s such a campy character,” the Oscar nominee tells Use. “She gets to kill people and looks sexy doing it.”
Tilly debuted as Tiffany in 1998’s Bride of Chucky, where the titular doll (voiced and read by) is Brad Dourif) reunited with the woman he loved when he was still human serial killer Charles Lee Ray. The Modern Family alum then reprised the role in 2004’s Seed of Chucky, in the role she also played.
The Saturn Award nominee returned for the Child’s Play franchise again in 2021 for Syfy’s TV adaptation of the beloved horror property, again voicing Tiffany in addition to playing a fictionalized version of herself. “I’m proud to be part of it,” Tilly told Horror ObsessiveThis was earlier in the month. “It’s like a coming-of-age story, but tagged as a ‘coming of rage story.’”
Check out Tilly’s favorite foods, poker tips and more below:
1. I’ve had a poker game going on for 20 years. We buy in for $20 to play for nickels or quarters. More fun than spending money with degenerates
2. I have a psychic gift. It helps me in poker and when I need my boyfriend to bring something home and he’s not answering his phone.
3. The key to a good poker face is behaving “as if.” When I’m bluffing, I pretend I have pocket aces, and that makes me feel serene.
4. My first paying voiceover job was adding “oohs” and “aahs” over a girl who was naked in a bubble bath.
5. I was most stunned when I met Sharleen JoyntThe opera singer from The Bachelor.
6. 1998 Saturn Award nomination: I was nominated to play Tiffany in 1998 Bride of Chucky. Now I’m nominated again for ChuckyThe television series!
7. My favorite cheat meal is fried Chicken, Biscuits [and]Cherry pie
8. On a Sunday afternoon, I’m usually swimming naked in the pool with my boyfriend.
9. Saturday Nights Phil [Laak]I make popcorn, light a fire and then watch. Alles by itself.
10. Carrie Fisher wrote a song about me. She was the script doctor. Made in AmericaIt was funny to sing an absurd song, I thought. It was!
11. I made King Charles III laugh. He apologized for his inability to see my films, and said that he only saw them on the plane. I replied, “Then all the best parts are taken out!”
12. If there’s a ghost, I’ll see it. In college, I woke up to find a man sitting beside my bed smiling. He looked like Chucky.
13. The Christmas tree nearly killed someone. It fell off the roof of our car … and skidded into oncoming traffic. We took it home and put the item up.
14. As a child, I was shy. [During]I would hyperventilate if I was reading book reports.
15. Joan Crawford used to own my bracelet. It has hanging charms with messages from her loved ones and mini Academy Awards.
16. Like all poker players I believe that $50 bills are bad luck.
17.My face is on a stamp in Republique de Côte d’Ivoire.
18. My first car was a ’69 Mustang I bought for $500. At times, the brakes didn’t work and I’d flip through the intersection, blaring my horn. It was still cool.
19. My favorite book is A Moveable Feast.
20. I love playing Tiffany because she’s such a campy character. She’s able to kill people, and it’s very seductive.
21. I was the best player of softball in my neighborhood [until]The puberty was here and the boys could go even further.
22. In high school, I was a member of a Happy DaysSketch where I played the role of a girl who sex with the Fonz. I wrote in my diary, “Some day I’m going to Hollywood and will kiss the real Fonz!” Later, I played Henry Winkler’s girlfriend on Out of PracticeHe got to kiss him every week!
23. My go-to karaoke song is the gay anthem “I Will Survive.”
24. I get the heebie jeebies by licking a Popsicle Stick.
25. We had a pet deer as a family when we were kids.
ChuckySyfy Wednesdays, 9 p.m. ET.
