Hollywood is fuming over a new AI actress

Question

After an artificial intelligence-generated “actress” drew intense backlash from human actors, the character’s maker says it’s not meant to replace people. But many in Hollywood aren’t buying it.

It’s just the latest movie-industry feud over a technology that many creatives worry has stolen their work and could eventually replace them.

“Tilly Norwood” looks like a young woman with wavy brown hair and clear skin who, since February, has posted on Instagram much like any other Gen Z influencer. She’s pursuing an acting career — and recently posted about doing “screen tests” in hopes of landing a gig. But Tilly Norwood isn’t a real person, she’s AI-generated, created by Eline Van Der Velden, founder of AI startup Particle6, which says it creates “digital content” for film and TV.

In a recent post, AI Tilly bragged that “in 20 seconds I fought monsters, fled explosions, sold you a car, and nearly won an Oscar. All in a day’s work… literally! Find yourself an actress who can do it all,” along with the hashtag #AIActress.

Answer 1

This is actually true, there were multiple tweets in response to this claim on X by a series of actors, it was also commented on by CNN and a handful of other notable sources and journalists. It was actually created by the company Xicoia which is an AI division of Particle6. There work was unveiled at a Zurich film festival. Which is where it caught tons of attention from Hollywood and actors. 

Sources that commented on this claim very a lot from CNN, WRAL, WCOV, aicomissions.org, and many more. They all center back to CNN mains headline or quote it in some way. here are some quotes I found that further claim this new AI "Actress" is actually a real thing and not some social prank. 

"In a recent post, AI Tilly bragged that “in 20 seconds I fought monsters, fled explosions, sold you a car, and nearly won an Oscar. All in a day’s work… literally! Find yourself an actress who can do it all,” along with the hashtag #AIActress." -New York (CNN)

This was the main headliner in CNNs post, now let's focus on the X replies from real Hollywood actors

"“Wow … no thanks,” Game of Thrones actor Sophie Turner said in one comment." (CNN)

“This is incredibly thoughtless and frankly disturbing,” wrote actor Cameron Cowperthwaite, who appeared in “Shameless” and “American Horror Story.” “I hope this backfires in every way humanly and well… Non humanly possible.” (CNN)

Ralph Ineson, who acted in “Nosferatu” and other films, responded to news of the project with a concise X post: “F**k off.”

However, the creator's response on Tillies Instagram told everyone that Shes not meant to replace human actors. But by the way Shes presented on the media and her first insta post

 "In a recent post, AI Tilly bragged that “in 20 seconds I fought monsters, fled explosions, sold you a car, and nearly won an Oscar. All in a day’s work… literally! Find yourself an actress who can do it all,” along with the hashtag #AIActress." (CNN)

So, by that we can see it seems like "replacement" was in the grand scheme and first introduction. 

in conclusion we can see this is true from the mass coverage on the topic and the inclusion of real tweet involved in the matter as well as an Instagram account made for tilly under the user @tillynorwood. 

this was also covered by TechCrunch and Complex, along with Yahoo even adding some information to the pool. 

(resources to check for more information)

Duffy, Clare. “Hollywood Is Fuming over a New “AI Actress.”” CNN, 30 Sept. 2025, www.cnn.com/2025/09/30/tech/hollywood-ai-actor-backlash.

‌Silberling, Amanda. “Hollywood Is Not Taking Kindly to the AI-Generated Actress Tilly Norwood | TechCrunch.” TechCrunch, Oct. 2025, techcrunch.com/2025/10/01/hollywood-is-not-taking-kindly-to-the-ai-generated-actress-tilly-norwood/. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

‌Mcbride, Jessica. “Tilly Norwood Is an “AI Actress” — Emily Blunt Says She’s “Terrifying.”” Complex, 30 Sept. 2025, www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/jessica-mcbride/tilly-norwood-ai-actress-with-instagram-page-emily-blunt-terrifying. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

‌Reilly, Kaitlin. “Who Is Tilly Norwood? Why This AI Actress Is Sparking Backlash from Real Hollywood Stars.” Yahoo Entertainment, 30 Sept. 2025, www.yahoo.com/entertainment/article/who-is-tilly-norwood-why-this-ai-actress-is-sparking-backlash-from-real-hollywood-stars-210608768.html. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

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Comments

Nice work locating multiple sources for your fact-check.

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I like your use in quoting multiple sources and citing!

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You did a nice job pulling together lots of quotes and sources that show the AI actress Tilly is real and being discussed widely in the media. What I think could make your fact-check even stronger is focusing more on how the sources connect to the claim. For example, you mentioned CNN, TechCrunch, and Yahoo, but most of the direct evidence (like the actor quotes) all come back to CNN’s reporting. It might help to clarify which details are original to CNN and which come from other outlets, so the reader can see the difference between primary and repeated reporting. I also think it would be helpful to explain why the Instagram account is important evidence, is it verified, or is it only tied to coverage from those articles? That would make the conclusion feel more solid.

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I appreciate all the information you put into this. I'm curious how you found such accurate and helpful sources? Also, would X be a reliable source, or would that be considered a biased opinion?

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I think you did a really good job with not only pulling multiple sources that go against the creation of an AI actress, but also by including what the creator herself had to say. Another thing I liked about your sources was the fact you used quotes from actors that a lot of people, if not most, are familiar with. I think that really helped build credibility for the argument that people are actually upset with this.

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I really appreciate how much effort you put into finding 3+ sources to include in this fact check. Also, taking the time to cite specific portions of each source that help support the original claim is extremely valuable. I think it is interesting that X was used as a source in this fact-check. However, it is important to note that the actors writing about the AI actress on X represent Hollywood, and their words are a primary source. This was a great fact check!

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The use of multiple sources as well as your own commentary allowed for a response that was helpful and answered this question.

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I appreciate all of the sources and quotes you provided and the introduction you started with to get us familiar with the topic because I have actually not heard of this story yet.

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I enjoyed how you brought multiple perspectives into your claim and didn't just merely end with answering if it 2was true or false. Including responses from real actors/actresses in response to the AI actress is super interesting to read and I
m glad I found out about that through your claim!

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I appreciate all the information you included, I'm curious how you found such accurate sources. Also, do you think X would count as reliable, or could it be seen as biased?

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I consider X to be a reliable opinion. I say this because posts are opinionated statements or questions. So by using X I gathered information of people's opinions and or statements on the matter that hit home to their situation (of being notable actors)

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I liked that you based your response claim on a broad idea and provided multiple sources to back up your reasoning. The use of CNN quotes from famous actors themselves on the subject added a level of credibility to your response that was very educational and well-worded. I wonder if you could have found a source quoting the actual creators of Tilly and what their true intentions with her were, though. That would have gone the extra mile to cover all bases and give all aspects of opinions on the subject

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You obviously did your research and gathered quotes from a variety of reliable sources to make this really thorough. I would wonder if Tilly's extravagant opening was intended to create controversy and go viral, or if she was actually intended to "replace" actors.  Although the developers state that she is not intended to take the place of anyone, her initial message undoubtedly feeds that anxiety.

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I agree with you, I think the whole AI actress is a little freaky. I appreciate how you used quotes from real actors because it helped to gain a sense of their emotions toward this topic. I could understand why so many actors are upset, and it could honestly feel like they have the possibility of being replaced. Do you think that there's a possible way for real actors and AI actors to work together without being competitive?

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This is a great answer, your fact-checking is thorough, clearly presenting your claim and supporting it with credible source outlets. I agree that AI actress’s feels pretty unsettling. I really appreciate how you included quotes from actual actors, as it provided a grasp of their feelings on the issue. It’s easy to see why many actors are upset about this topic, I wonder how privacy for celebrities will change if they are AI themselves.

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It was great that you used actual X and Instagram posts from actors to show that this situation is really happening. Through the quoted reactions from real actors, their thoughts and emotions about the situation were conveyed more vividly. Also, citing additional sources beyond CNN's article also made your fact-check more credible and trustworthy.

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Sadie, you did a great job, and it was evident that you spent a lot of time doing research on this topic. And it is clear that you care about debunking the claim. Your quotes really helped with your argument, and it shows the different views on this topic and the emotions that it is sparking. The perspectives of world renound acttresses really helps strengthen this argument and show all the harm it is casuing. Overall, I really hope that this was a stunt to spark up some controversy and make a large debate

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I think you did a very good job providing sources to back up this claim. There was a lot of information about the issue given, with real tweets and posts made by many current prominent actors. I think this is an interesting situation, and a little "dystopian" in a way. I understand why these actors would be frustrated because of this, the introduction of this AI actress gives way to the erasure of actor's roles and their important work in the industry.

Answer 2

This is actually true after scouring the internet and multiple sources, including BBC, CNN, ABC News, and other news outlets, which state that the AI actress Tilly Norwood has sparked outrage among the acting community in Hollywood. ABC News states that Famous Hollywood actor Emily Blunt, in a Variety interview, says, "That is really, really scary. Come on, agencies, don't do that. Please stop," implying how scary and detrimental this could be for the acting community. CNN also gives more examples of actors infuriated with the usage of AI, for example, "Ralph Ineson, who acted in “Nosferatu” and other films, responded to news of the project with a concise X post : “F**k off.” All these articles show us how infuriated the Hollywood acting community is with the new implementation of AI acting. 

Comments

It was great how you linked a Variety interview and quote from the actors. Though your quote was mentioned in the interview, the Variety interview link you have used was a link to the Instagram page where they only mention certain quotes from the interview. I think that this could limit the credibility since the whole interview was overlooked and only captured the few points mentioned in the Instagram page. Instead, by linking the whole interview and the article it could further strengthen your argument.

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I agree with your comment, and I like how you integrated quotes from your sources in your comment. From your variety of sources, it seems like they all have shown special interest in Tilly Wood, yet no one has signed her yet. Is it relevant that they haven't signed her yet?

Answer 3

This is true. One can read the CNN article you provided and clearly see that some of Hollywood’s A-listers have spoken out against this new AI actress, “Tilly”, and would most likely agree with actor Cameron Cowperthwaite, who wrote on X that this creation, “...incredibly thoughtless and frankly disturbing…” Even when the creator of this new AI actress, Eline Van Der Velden, stated “To those who have expressed anger over the creation of our AI character Tilly Norwood: she is not a replacement for a human being…” numerous other actors and actresses still consider “Tilly” a generated creation that compiles stolen aspects of their real-life skill, work, effort, and creativity.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or “SAG-AFTRA”, is an American labor union for actors, broadcasters, and other media professionals who also put out a statement. Their team writes, “...[Tilly is] generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers — without permission or compensation…it creates the problem of using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.” 

Although slightly unlike Cowperthwaite, in an MSNBC article, it’s stated that Whoopi Goldberg, one of the few actors with EGOT status (has won at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award), believes, “It’s a little bit of an unfair advantage. But you know what? Bring it on. Because you can always tell them from us.”

All in all, the most common and recent reactions from Hollywood toward the AI generation of “Tilly Norwood” have been negative and condemn agencies that support it. 

Here are a couple more sources that cover this issue:

1. https://variety.com/2025/film/news/gersh-ai-actress-tilly-norwood-representation-1236534829/

2. https://www.npr.org/2025/09/30/nx-s1-5558119/tily-norwood-ai-hollywood

Comments

I like how on top of the sources you used to support your claim that this is true you added two extra ones at the end to further your point! On top of that, the sources you used are very credible and I like how you also include direct quotes from actors and how they feel about this new competitor in the acting world.

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Great factcheck! I like how you quoted multiple different people/sources to support the information. I also appreciate how you used a mix of direct quotes from actors as well as citing articles that discuss this topic.

Answer 4

When I looked into the claim about the AI-generated “actress” Tilly Norwood and whether she’s meant to replace real actors, the first thing I did was fact checked this story. It was published by CNN, which is a well-known and generally reliable news outlet. CNN reporters usually talk to real people involved and cite their sources, so the information tends to be trustworthy. In this case, they interviewed Eline Van Der Velden, who’s the founder of Particle6, the company that created Tilly. She said that Tilly isn’t meant to replace human actors, but instead to show what AI can do creatively in film and media. That sounds good on paper, but it’s worth remembering that Van Der Velden runs the company making money off this technology, so of course she’d want to present it in a positive light. As she told The Independent, “Tilly is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work.” This quote shows how she’s framing the project as an artistic experiment rather than a threat, but many in the industry see it differently.

To get a better picture, I looked into other news outlets like BBC and Variety, which have covered similar stories about AI in Hollywood. Variety spoke with members of the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA, who said they’re worried about AI copying actors’ voices, faces, and performances without permission or pay. One article even quoted SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin, who said the union “will address AI actress Tilly Norwood with agents and continue the fight for AI compensation.” Variety also published an opinion piece arguing that calling a computer program an “actress” is misleading, since “AI lacks the lived experience, emotion, and humanity that define performance.” The BBC had these same concerns, reporting that many in Hollywood fear AI tools like Tilly could “blur the lines between real and synthetic talent,” leading to fewer opportunities for working actors. When you trace everything back to where it started, it all comes from Van Der Velden and Particle 6's own social media posts and promotional statements. So while CNN and others are reporting the story fairly, it’s clear that the company behind Tilly has a major incentive to make the technology sound exciting and harmless. In reality, the growing pushback from actors and unions shows that this “AI actress” represents more than just creativity, it’s a sign of how the entertainment industry is struggling to protect real peoples jobs and livelyhoods in this day and age. 

Answer 5

A Dutch creative company has announced the creation of an "AI" actor named Tilly Norwood. This recent announcement has caused backlash from the public, and the Hollywood actors union has publicly condemned this attempt to incorporate AI actors in movies. Tilly Norwood has their own social media pages, filled with headshots and filming tests. The AI actors creators announced on her Instagram "I may be AI, but I'm feeling very real emotions right now," and even showed the actors brewing exctitement by saying, "I am so excited for what's coming next!"

The arguement against this new idea is that no one wants to watch an actor in a movie who has no actual emotional experiences, or life experience in general to further their acting talent. That it is also against the ideas of creative art states the actors union, "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.

Hollywood stars outraged over 'AI actor' Tilly Norwood

Comments

While this is a good explanation, it would be additionally helpful if you linked and quoted more sources explaining Hollywoods reaction to the AI actress instead of merely stating that she does exist. I'm interested in knowing what all the sources you used for your explanation are, or if it's just the one at the bottom?

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Your response was very in-depth and projects detailed evidence from outside sources. I agree that AI actresses and actors might not have lots of emotion because they have not lived a normal human life, and it is difficult for them to express this in their acting. Something to add would be that not everyone sees AI actors as a full replacement for actors, and it can be seen as puppetry or animation.

Answer 6

This claim is true in some ways, as this AI actress is spreading throughout the internet, and some Hollywood producers have mentioned and recognized her. This post is exaggerated, as no Hollywood producer has signed her yet. The website Deadline has posted an article about her existence and production along with The Variety and CNN Business. People and Hollywood producers are interested in her existence and the competition with real actresses.

Sources: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/ai-generated-actress-tilly-norwood-sparks-hollywood-backlash/story?id=126081156

https://deadline.com/2025/09/talent-agent-ai-actress-tilly-norwood-studios-1236557889/

https://variety.com/2025/film/news/tilly-norwood-backlash-hollywood-publicists-divided-1236537900/

Answer 7

Yes, this is true. I found several articles that reference Hollywood actors' outrage over the AI actress, Tilly Norwood. Hollywood is concerned that AI actors could make it more difficult to find jobs or create even more inequities in the industry. They point out the loss of authenticity that is likely to come from computer generated actors that don't have real life experience to pull from.

Multiple verified outlets, such as CNN, BBC and Vanity Fair have reported on the AI actress and Hollywood's reaction. Award winning actress, Emily Blunt, said "the creation was terrifying" (BBC). Mara Wilson says, "What about the hundreds of living young women whose faces were composited together to make her? You couldn't hire any of them?" (Vanity Fair). 

Hollywood's concerns around AI have been around for years, and contributed to the massive writers and actors strike in 2023 (CNN). Even the actors union, SAG-AFTRA opposes AI actors saying they believe "creativity is, and should remain, human-centered." 

Stated in Vanity Fair, Eline Van der Velden, the founder of the company who created the AI actress disagrees and argues that she's not meant as a replacement for humans but a "creative piece of work" comparing it to art. However she is one voice among countless others who have very deep concerns. 

In conclusion, we do see the strain this new AI actress is having on Hollywood as evidenced by the many quotes showing rising concerns over how this will negatively affect actors and the art. 

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/ai-actor-tilly-norwood-controversy-hollywood-reacts?srsltid=AfmBOoqv67Ncwe3WfdgztKb_9dxBSuXSD2FYGhrCu2ckti3BX2Kb1wHR

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c99glvn5870o

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/30/tech/hollywood-ai-actor-backlash