Hollywood Unites Against AI Actor Tilly Norwood Amid Backlash

Sun Oct 12 2025 14:27:11 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Stars like Emily Blunt and Natasha Lyonne express outrage over the introduction of Tilly Norwood, a synthetic actor created by AI, sparking fierce debates about the future of human artistry in Hollywood.

The emergence of Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actor, has ignited a significant backlash in Hollywood. Major stars and the actors' union SAG-AFTRA have condemned the creation, arguing that it threatens to undermine the human experience in film. Created by Dutch comedian Eline Van der Velden, Tilly is positioned as a creative work rather than a human replacement, but many industry leaders see this as a dangerous precedent. The issue of AI's role in the arts remains a controversial topic following the recent Hollywood strikes focused on protecting artists' jobs.

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.

It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we've seen, audiences aren't interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience, the union stated.

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.

Norwood's Instagram page includes headshots from faux filming tests and an advertisement spoofing programs on the BBC, including being superimposed on the often-star-studded couch on BBC's The Graham Norton Show.

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.

Creating Tilly has been, for me, an act of imagination and craftsmanship, not unlike drawing a character, writing a role, or shaping a performance, Van der Velden wrote, adding such creations should be judged as part of their own genre rather than compared to human actors.

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

In its statement on Norwood, SAG-AFTRA reminded agencies and studios that using Norwood in projects could pose issues for contractual protections they secured after the 2023 strike.

It doesn't solve any 'problem' — it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry, the union added.

Actress Natasha Lyonne called for a boycott of any talent agency engaging with Norwood, emphasizing the need for ethical considerations.

Blunt described the creation as terrifying, expressing concerns over the loss of human connection in performance.