AI “Actress” Tilly Norwood Triggers Backlash in Hollywood

A new figure is making waves in Hollywood — but she isn’t human. Tilly Norwood, a fully AI-generated character created by Dutch actress and technologist Eline Van der Velden, is being positioned as cinema’s next rising star. Her creator claims that major talent agencies are already considering representing her, sparking an industry-wide debate over the future of acting and the ethics of synthetic performers.

Norwood was developed through Van der Velden’s AI studio Xicoia, an offshoot of her production company Particle6. Soft-launched earlier this year on social media, Tilly currently has over 39,000 Instagram followers, introducing herself as an “aspiring actress” and asking fans what kind of roles she should play.

Van der Velden makes no secret of her ambitions. “We want Tilly to be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman,” she told Broadcast International. Speaking later at the Zurich Summit, she claimed studios initially dismissed AI performers but are now actively seeking partnerships. Norwood has already appeared in a short comedy sketch titled AI Commissioner, celebrating her “first ever role.”

But while her creator frames the project as innovation, many in the film industry see it as a threat. Social media quickly filled with alarmed reactions, with users calling it “the end of real actors” and urging others not to support AI performers.

Well-known actors soon joined the criticism. Emily Blunt called the concept “terrifying,” Natasha Lyonne urged unions to boycott any agency representing AI actors, and Mara Wilson accused Norwood’s creators of exploiting real women’s likenesses without consent. Kiersey Clemons demanded transparency over which agencies were in talks.

SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union that fought for AI protections during the 2023 Hollywood strikes, issued a firm statement rejecting the idea that Norwood could be considered an actor. “She is not a performer but a character trained on the work of real artists without permission,” the union said, warning that synthetic actors risk replacing human labor.

Van der Velden has defended her creation, comparing AI performers to animation or puppetry — tools meant to expand storytelling, not erase human actors. She insists that Tilly is “a creative work, not a replacement for a person.”

However, critics argue that the issue is not technological creativity but consent, compensation and employment. With AI already reshaping multiple industries, many fear that unregulated synthetic performers could undermine livelihoods built on human experience and emotional authenticity.

For now, the spotlight remains on Tilly Norwood — but whether she earns applause or rejection may determine how Hollywood navigates the age of artificial talent.