AI actress Tilly Norwood has come under fire from Hollywood, with stars like Melissa Barrera and Mara Wilson expressing anger at the concept.
An actress called Tilly Norwood made a splash at the Zurich Film Festival over the weekend, as in spite of claims that she’s attracted the attention of multiple talent agents, Norwood is an AI invention.
Created by AI talent studio Xicoia – an off-shoot from AI production studio Particle6 – Norwood appeared in a YouTube video back in July (see below).
Now Particle6’s Eline Van der Velden is claiming that a talent agency will soon be representing the virtual actress, which has drawn the ire of multiple big names in the real word.
AI actress Tilly Norwood compared to Scarlett Johansson
“We want Tilly to be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman,” Van der Velden recently told Broadcast International. “That’s the aim of what we’re doing.”
“People are realising that their creativity doesn’t need to be boxed in by a budget – there are no constraints creatively and that’s why AI can really be a positive,” Van der Velden continues. “It’s just about changing peoples’ viewpoint.”
She adds: “There’s so much tech that’s changing, especially around consistency – that was a problem even just a few months ago, especially with environments. Now with characters you can just take them from photographs, it’s all just constantly evolving.”
Melissa Barrera and Mara Wilson clap back
Hollywood stars were quick to respond to talk of representatives queuing up to sign Tilly Norwood, with Scream actress Melissa Barrera writing via an Instagram story: “Hope all actors repped by the agent that does this, drop their a$$. How gross, read the room.”
The Flash actress Kiersy Clemons replied with: “Out the agents, I want names.” While Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story star Nicholas Alexander Chavez added: “Not an actress nice try.”
Matilda lead Mara Wilson then asked an important question concerning where Tilly came from, writing: “What about the hundreds of living young women whose faces were composited together to make her? You couldn’t hire any of them?”
Eline Van der Velden responds to criticism
With criticism flying at Tilly Norwood from multiple directions, Van der Velden released a statement explaining the AI creation’s place within the industry (as per Deadline):
“To those who have expressed anger over the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art. Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity,” Van der Velden said.
“I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool, a new paintbrush. Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories. I’m an actor myself, and nothing – certainly not an AI character – can take away the craft or joy of human performance.
“Creating Tilly has been, for me, an act of imagination and craftsmanship, not unlike drawing a character, writing a role, or shaping a performance. It takes time, skill, and iteration to bring such a character to life. She represents experimentation, not substitution. Much of my work has always been about holding up a mirror to society through satire, and this is no different.
“AI characters should be judged as part of their own genre, on their own merits… each form of art has its place, and each can be valued for what it uniquely brings.
“I hope we can welcome AI as part of the wider artistic family; one more way to express ourselves, alongside theatre, film, painting, music, and countless others. When we celebrate all forms of creativity, we open doors to new voices, new stories, and new ways of connecting with each other.”
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