A Walk Through The Maze of Jennifer Tilly’s Achievements, Net Worth and Family

Quick Facts

Do you remember Tiffany Valentine from Child’s Play, Shannon Winters from the sitcom Shaping Up? Okay, maybe that’s too way back. How about Jane from Intervention? Where ever you’ve seen Jennifer Tilly act there are two things you cannot find lacking, wits and humor. Since she came on the scene in 1983, the No small Affair star has made her mark in the American TV and film space. Not to mention the eighty-four films, thirty-three Tv series and eighteen awards and nominations she’s garnered over the years. More so, Tilly’s expertise in Poker puts her in a class only a few women can aspire to. The actress and voice actress is not only popular for her works on screen but also her mastery of the card game and she is the winner of the World Series of Poker Ladies’ Event bracelet, 2005. This piece tells you more about her and all there is to know about her achievements and net worth.

Who is Jennifer Tilly?

Jennifer Tilly was born―Jennifer Ellen Chan―in Harbor City, Los Angeles, USA, on September 16, 1958, to parents Harry and Patricia Chan. Her father who was of Chinese descent worked as a used car salesman while her mother―of Irish, Canadian and Finnish ancestry―was a schoolteacher and stage actress in her days. As the second of four children Tilly and her siblings, an elder brother named Steve and two younger sisters named Meg and Rebecca spent the earlier part of their lives in Harbor City and then Texada Island, British Columbia. The family later moved to Victoria, British Columbia when she was about 16. Tilly attended Belmont High School where she took a deeper interest in stage performances. She had been accompanying her mother to stage performances. Poised to become an actress, Jennifer Tilly enrolled to study theatre at Stephens College in Missouri where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater.

Straight out of college, Tilly began pursuing her career in earnest. She relocated to New York to perform in city theatres. However, things didn’t move so fast and smoothly for the aspiring actress. She then moved to Los Angeles where her career prospects were a lot greener. Her time came in 1983 when she debuted on Television as Laurie in Oh Madeline, in the episode “Madeline Acts Forward at the Retreat.” This proved to be a great start for Jennifer Tilly as she made her big-screen debut the following year, starring as Mona in No Small Affair.

Over the next three-plus decades, her acting saw her star in no less than 117 films and television projects most of which have been successful. Some of Tilly’s most memorable appearances were as Angelica in It’s Garry Shandling’s Show (1987), Vicki in Let It Ride (1990), Violet in Bound (1996), Tiffany Valentine in Bride of Chucky (1998), Jo in Dancing at the Blue Iguana (2000), Jane in Intervention (2007), Darlene in Modern Family (2011-14), Ginger in Ray Meets Helen (2017).

Her Career Achievements

When she started acting, even tilly couldn’t tell how far her talent and hard work would lead her. As it turns out, she remains one of the most celebrated Hollywood figures today. With eighteen awards and nominations under her belt, there’s probably no further litmus test needed to gauge her success in the film arena. Although she’s had a nomination stint from 1989, her first win came in 1996 when she was awarded “Best Actress” for her role in the 1996 movie, Bound. That sort of opened Tilly up for more and more awards in the ensuing years. Her other wins include:

• Best Actress at the 1998 Fantafestival, for Bride of Chucky (1998).
• Best Actress in a DVD Premiere Movie at the 2001 DVD Exclusive Award, for Ball in the House (2001).
• Golden Gate Award at the 2006 GLAAD Media Award.
• Asheville Film Festival Career Achievement Award (2006).
• Best Actress at the 2007 San Diego Film Festival, for Intervention (2007).
• Barbara Tipple Award at the 2010 TheWIFTS Foundation International Visionary Award, for her roles in Intervention and Inconceivable. 
• Nominated for Best Supporting Actress (in Bullets over Broadway) at the 1994 Academy Award.

Over the years, Tilly has found a way to channel her acting genius into the world of Poker. In June 2005, she beat 600 players to clinch the World Series of Poker bracelet and a $158,625 prize money in the Ladies’ No-Limit Texas hold ’em event. Tilly also won the WPT Bellagio Cup 5K, going home with the prize money of $124,455. She however retired from playing Poker competitively, citing that pursuing greatness in poker is elusive but she will, nonetheless, keep playing the card game as a hobby since she perceives gambling to be addictive. All of that, including her train of businesses have made tilly a fortune. Let’s see how much.

How Much is Jennifer Tilly Worth?

For someone with a nearly forty-year track record in the show business, Jennifer Tilly has racked up lots of experiences that come with the benefit of commanding a good fortune. As of this writing, the American-Canadian actress reportedly has a net worth that seats comfortably above $25 million.

Who are Her Family Members?

Tilly hails from a family whose matriarch, in her heydays, was an actress. Her mother Patricia (née Tilly) was a former stage performer who though wasn’t much popular in her time for her acting prowess, did well to pass the genes down to her daughters: Jennifer and Meg. Rebecca, on the other hand, pursued a different career path. Meg made her TV debut in 1981 as Dorie in Insight, in the episode “The Trouble with Grandpa.” She has since then featured in both films and television series such as The Two Jakes (1990), Bomb Girls: Facing the Enemy (2014), War Machine (2017) among others.

On the other hand, Jennifer, since 2004, has been in a relationship with fellow poker player Phil Laak. However, before Phil, she was married to The Simpsons producer and developer, Sam Simon in 1984, until their divorce in 1991. As far as we know, they had no children from this marriage. Asides Laak and the late Simon, there have been no reports about any other relationships she’s had. Though lovers since 2004, the love birds have made no announcements about any intending wedding ceremony or having children together. When that comes up, we’re sure to put it all out.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.