AI Actress Tilly Norwood Is a Bad Thing for Hollywood

Courtesy of Particle6

Recently, there has been a lot of buzz over the introduction of AI-generated actress Tilly Norwood. In an age where AI has been utilized in so many areas and fields, it’s no surprise that AI actors were eventually going to be a thing. We already have actors who have retired or before they passed away sign off on studios being allowed to use their likeness. That does not mean people will accept the concept. In fact, actors and actresses are furious over this. SAG-AFTRA released a statement saying Norwood is not a real actor, but rather a character generated by a computer program. Actress Emily Blunt called the creation of Norwood terrifying. Actress and host of The View, Whoopi Goldberg, expressed her concerns about AI replacing actual actors, noting that viewers would be able to tell the difference between humans and AI creations based on how they move. Actresses like Melissa Barrera have threatened to boycott talent agencies that sign Norwood. Norwood’s creator, Van der Valden, has defended Norwood’s creation and claims Norwood won’t replace talent and instead is a piece of art despite also making absurd claims that Norwood could be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman.

Actors and actresses are justified in expressing displeasure and fear over this. Norwood is not a real human. For over a century, actors and actresses have worked hard to deliver performances of a lifetime. Are they always perfect performances? No, but actors and actresses have spent countless hours, days, weeks, and months preparing for roles that changed their careers or could change their careers. Take the actresses Norwood has been compared to so far, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman. These women have performed since they were kids and dedicated years to film, whether it be franchises like Star Wars and Marvel or films from acclaimed directors like The Prestige and Black Swan. Saying Tilly Norwood is going to be like them is disrespectful to them and actresses with similar resumes, experience, and more. Johansson and Portman have not commented on Tilly Norwood’s creation and the comparisons as of right now.

Another thing is that the creation of AI actors and actresses won’t stop at Norwood. Before we know it, someone, whether it’s Van der Valden or a different person, will create an AI actor that they will claim could be the next Christian Bale or Tom Cruise. Even if der Valden truly intends to not have Norwood replace actresses, this still paves the way for AI actors and actresses to be created by others with different intentions and likely replace real actors. With how greedy a lot of studios are, they might see AI as a safer, less expensive choice, which horrifies actors.

Actors go through a lot to prepare for roles. Christian Bale makes dramatic changes to his body to prepare for roles. AI will not have that dedication. AI won’t spend the amount of time actors do to study up on the characters they play, whether it’s fictional characters from books or real life historical figures. AI will likely process whatever it’s fed. They will not have that connection human actors have with the audience. No way can AI give a villain performance like Heath Ledger did in The Dark Knight or an emotional performance like James Stewart did in It’s a Wonderful Life. AI actors also lead to the question of whether or not they should be considered for awards when award season comes in. The answer should be absolutely not. AI cannot be nominated for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards. It’s disrespectful to all the actors who worked hard and deserve the chance to be nominated.

As we mentioned in the article on Sean Astin becoming the new president of SAG-AFTRA, the current deal they have with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers will expire at the end of June 2026. Astin ran on a platform favoring more protection from AI. Astin already said he will be addressing the concerns he and his actors have over Tilly Norwood with the Association of Talent Agents. Astin also pointed out that SAG-AFTRA’s concerns about AI replacing actors have been a concern before Norwood was created, and it sounds like he is prepared for the upcoming debate.

As of right now, Tilly Norwood has no upcoming roles or appearances in movies or shows. Whichever show or movie Norwood does appear in will a hundred percent face a lot of heat and criticism, as will the studio producing the movie or show. As of right now, no actors have spoken out in favor of or even in defense of Tilly Norwood, and I doubt any will. No matter how much marketing Norwood and any other possible AI creations get, they will never be real actors. What are your thoughts on Tilly Norwood? Do you think this is bad or good? Let us know in the comments below.