The iconic character actor, Jennifer Tilly, is widely known for portraying diverse roles in films and television shows, including the Child’s Play franchise and Monster’s Inc. In a recent discussion with Vulture, Tilly discussed her decade-spanning career, divulging details of her recent experience as part of the cast in Season 14 of TheReal Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH), with her reality television appearance proving to be a drastic, sharp turn for the actress.
The Bride of Chucky star revealed that she has always been a fan of Housewives, specifically the Beverly Hills franchise. After appearing as a guest star on the show beforehand, it was a dream come true for the Oscar nominee to join the show as a new cast member in season 14 and meet Elizabeth Taylor. Already local to the Beverly Hills area, it was like experiencing “zero gravity,” according to Tilly. Before becoming a member of the show and a “friend of” Suton Stracke, she anticipated witnessing many people living the upscale Beverly Hills lifestyle, eating at top-tier restaurants, and shopping on Rodeo Drive. However, this wasn’t exactly the case once Tilly stepped on set…
“I’ve always been a Housewives superfan. Only the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, though. I remember I was like, “I live in Beverly Hills, and it’d be kind of fun to see Beverly Hills through the lens of really rich people.” I thought that I was going to see a lot of people shopping on Rodeo Drive, but a lot of the filming that they do is in the Valley, in places where it’s easier to get permits. So it’s not like you’re at the fanciest places in Beverly Hills, arguing. They’re usually arguing at some kind of non–Beverly Hills place because the really fancy, elite places don’t want Housewives screaming at each other in their dining room.”
Jennifer Tilly Says Being a Part of RHOBH Was Like Having ‘Front-Row Tickets to the Superbowl’
Despite this slight anticlimax, Tilly was enthused about joining the cast this year, heaping praise on the editors and their ability to create stories using an assortment of “Lego blocks.” Since the show is unscripted, the editors have the power to perceive housewives in a particular light. Tilly explains that the editors are the ones who write the show as it moves along and “can make you the girl next door” or the “villain.”
“I’ve been filming for about a month now, and I’d say the Housewives is the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. I read this book called Bachelor Nation, and the Bachelor editors said — I’m paraphrasing — “When we get all the footage, it’s like we have a big box of Legos. And we’re like, ‘What are we going to create with these Lego blocks?’” They can do anything. They can make you the girl next door. They can make you the villain. They can make you the cranky one. They can make you the patient one. It depends on what they want to show, what’s going to make the story.”
Related
Scream Queen Jennifer Tilly Says Joining RHOBH Season 14 is ‘Scarier Than Chucky’
Child’s Play franchise star Jennifer Tilly is venturing to the horrific neighborhood of Beverly Hills.
So enamored with the experience was Tilly that she even compares sitting at a table with the Housewives to having “front-row tickets to the Super Bowl” or “working with Martin Scorsese.” Finding it challenging, Tilly has gained a greater appreciation for all the Housewives and dubbed it the “craziest thing I’ve ever done.” She was particularly excited about being able to work closely with Kyle Richards and Erika Jane, even more so than Elizabeth Taylor. She said:
“But I never thought I’d be on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. To me, it’s like working with Martin Scorsese. My boyfriend always says if he got $40 million, he wants to go into space and experience zero gravity. To me, being on Housewives is experiencing zero gravity. I was more excited to meet Kyle Richards and Erika Jane and the other ladies than I was when I met Elizabeth Taylor.”
It sounds like being on RHOBH was a dream come true for Jennifer Tilly. With that now ticked off her bucket list, she looks forward to continuing her horror legacy in the SYFY spin-off and Peacock’s hit series Chucky.