Jennifer Tilly

Jennifer Tilly Biography
by Chad Holloway of Predictem.com

Jennifer Tilly was born Jennifer Chan on September 16, 1958 in Harbor City, California. Tilly, whose parents divorced when she was young, was raised in the Victoria, British Columbia area of Canada by her mother and stepfather. Jennifer took her mother's maiden name of Tilly when she decided to pursue an acting career. She put herself through the theatre program at Stephens College in Missouri by winning various writing competitions. Tilly's acting career has flourished and she is among one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood. She has appeared in such films as Liar, Liar, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Monsters Inc., Bride of Chuck, and in Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway, for which she received a 1994 Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress. She also has numerous television credits including a role on Family Guy as the always pregnant Bonnie Swanson.

Tilly acquired an interest in poker after her role in the 1989 film Let It Ride. After playing in numerous home games, Tilly was invited to play in an invitational World Poker Tour event at the Commerce Casino in 2003. It was at this tournament that Tilly met her future boyfriend Phil Laak. Although Laak is fourteen years her senior, Tilly is attracted to him nonetheless: "He's such a happy guy who wakes up smiling or laughing. Once in a while something will get him down, but most of the time he really appreciates his life. People always say to me: 'You and Phil look so happy, when are you getting married?' That's why we're happy, because we're not married." In 2005, Tilly won a World Series of Poker gold bracelet by conquering a field of 600 players in the Ladies event, taking home $158,625. She proved she was no poker fluke by going on to win a WPT's Ladies Invitational title by defeating top professionals Marsha Waggoner and Isabelle Mercier. Tilly's other poker accomplishments include winning the Paul Hannum Charity Tournament at the Bicycle Casino in 2006, winning the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em event at the 2006 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio Casino, and appearances on GSN's Poker Royale series, Celebrity Poker Showdown, ESPN's Pro-AM Poker Equalizer, and on the third season of Poker Superstars Invitational.

Tilly married Sam Simon, who is best known as a producer of The Simpsons, in 1984, but the two ultimately divorced in 1991. She is a supporter of gay and lesbian rights who has amassed more than $450,000 in lifetime tournament winnings. With her recent poker success, Tilly hopes to concentrate more on poker than acting: "I feel like I'm approaching the level of a pro, whereas before I was a sort of celebrity savant. My favorite days are when I'm playing really well and I can tell that the professionals at the table are impressed. I like that much better than when I'm sitting with a bunch of people and they're asking me about Bride of Chucky. Phil [Laak] told me that this pro sat down with him the other day and said I was the best professional he'd played with in three weeks."

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