Jennifer Tilly has come to terms with being the face of the Chucky horror film and TV franchise. The human face of it, that is.
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Of course, avid fans of the long-running series, which kicked off with 1988’s Child’s Play, know Tilly didn’t even enlist as Chucky’s main flame, Tiffany Valentine, until Bride of Chucky in 1998.
Tilly admits she had her reservations about starring opposite the serial killer-possessed “Good Guy” doll.
“I had an idea that a horror movie is something you do in the beginning of your career or at the end,” Tilly recently told Interview.
The 66-year-old actress pointed out that she felt horror was something an actor does at the start and twilight of their career, like Jennifer Aniston starring in Leprechaun just before she blew up in Friends, or a more mature Bette Davis shifting to horror-infused camp films like What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte.
Jennifer Tilly Admits She Wanted to Be a ‘Major Motion Picture Star’ Before Crossing Paths with Chucky
Before becoming synonymous with Tiffany, Tilly had already achieved a major career milestone. She earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1994 film Bullets Over Broadway. She’d also starred in 1996’s Bound, a crime thriller directed by future The Matrix masterminds, the Wachowskis.
“I wanted to be a really important movie star, like a major motion picture star,” she admitted. “The fact of the matter is that Chucky is literally a foul-mouthed little doll that kills people. You’re never going to get Emmy nominations from Chucky or the kind of acclaim that I craved when I was younger.”
That said, it seems to be dawning on Tilly that she might forever be best remembered for being a part of the Chucky series. She’s been a part of every installment since Bride, including the recent TV series.
Still, Tilly points out that plenty of prolific actors are forever identified with one role. She noted Gene Wilder, who starred in several Mel Brooks classics and amazing comedies with Richard Pryor, is best known for a role in a children’s film.
“He had such a career, but he’s known as Willy Wonka,” she told Interview. “But I’ve come to terms with the fact that when I pass away, people are going to leave Chucky dolls on my grave, and I’m fine with that.”
Tilly Says She’ll Probably Be Starring in Chucky Projects ‘Before I Finally Pass’
However, Tilly was quick to point out that she loved the franchise’s fans.
“The Chucky fans are the greatest fans in the whole world,” she added. “They’re very fanatical, but they’re very, very loyal, and they’re really smart. I’ve done four movies and three seasons of the TV series. I have a feeling I’m going to be doing Chucky probably until the day before I finally pass.”
Of course, Tilly’s career continues to make interesting and weird turns. She now stars in the latest season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She shares the screen with her real-life best friend, Sutton Stracke.