AI Actress Ignites Fierce Backlash From Hollywood Stars

A new feud is brewing in the movie industry over a technology that many creatives worry has stolen their work and could one day take their jobs. The source of the latest conflict is an artificial intelligence-generated “actress” that has drawn intense backlash from human actors, even as her creator insists she is not meant to replace anyone.

Meet Tilly Norwood The AI Actress Sparking Debate

“Tilly Norwood” presents as a young woman with wavy brown hair, active on Instagram since February much like any Gen Z influencer. She is portrayed as pursuing an acting career and has even posted about doing “screen tests.” However, Tilly Norwood is not a real person; she is an AI creation from Particle6, a startup founded by Eline Van Der Velden that produces “digital content” for film and TV.

The controversy exploded after a recent post where AI Tilly boasted, “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,” accompanied by the hashtag #AIActress.

The project sparked widespread criticism after a report from Hollywood news outlet Deadline revealed that talent agents were considering signing Tilly and that movie studios are quietly embracing similar AI-generated content.

Hollywood's Stars Push Back

The news prompted hundreds of angry comments on Tilly's Instagram account, including reactions from some of Hollywood’s most recognizable names.

“Wow … no thanks,” commented “Game of Thrones” actor Sophie Turner.

Cameron Cowperthwaite, known for his roles in “Shameless” and “American Horror Story,” wrote, “This is incredibly thoughtless and frankly disturbing. I hope this backfires in every way humanly and well… Non humanly possible.”

Ralph Ineson, who appeared in “Nosferatu,” offered a more concise reaction in an X post: “F**k off.”

Mara Wilson, famous for films like “Matilda,” articulated the core grievance of many creatives, commenting on a post, “You didn’t make this. Hundreds of real workers, real photographers, camera operators, heck, even farmers, made this. You took their work and pretended it was yours.”

A New Form of Art or a Replacement

In response to the backlash, creator Eline Van Der Velden posted a statement clarifying the project's intent. She argued that Tilly is not meant to replace human actors but should be viewed as a creative work.

“To those who have expressed anger over the creation of our AI character Tilly Norwood: she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work — a piece of art,” Van Der Velden stated. “Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories.”

She concluded by suggesting, “AI characters should be judged as part of their own genre, on their own merits, rather than compared directly to human actors.”

The Bigger Picture AI's Battle with Hollywood

This reassurance offers little comfort to actors who argue that AI creations like Tilly are fundamentally dependent on their work. For years, Hollywood professionals have warned that their work, images, and likenesses were being used to train AI models without consent or compensation, only to be used to generate content that could eventually replace them.

These anxieties were a central issue in the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes. While both unions reached agreements with major studios that included protections around AI, these contracts do not prevent others from using publicly available AI tools.

In response, major media companies are taking the fight to court. Disney and Universal sued Midjourney in June, and Warner Bros. filed a similar lawsuit this month, accusing the AI generator of copyright infringement. Even AI companies are beginning to shift their approach. According to a Wall Street Journal report, OpenAI is now allowing copyright holders to opt out of having their material used in its updated Sora AI video generator and will block the recreation of living artists and public figures.