By Nicole Isagholian
Is there a new star in Hollywood? The actors’ Union fought for the ability to protect against the use of generative artificial intelligence to displace actors during their latest round of collective bargaining negotiations with Producers. Now, actors are learning that an “AI Actress” is in talks with Hollywood talent agencies, and they are not happy about it. Tilly Norwood is not a human being despite appearing to be one. She is the creation of Particle6, an AI production studio, whose founder and CEO, Eline Van der Velden, stated that the studio used over 10 different generative artificial intelligence tools to create her.[1] Tilly made her debut as an actress at the end of July in a comedy sketch, the “AI Commissioner.”[2] AI created everything about the comedy sketch from the actors to the lines that were said.[3] Van der Velden, stated that the company believes the future of entertainment is “both human and synthetic” and that “AI [will not] replace human creativity” but rather “it will amplify it.”[4] Van der Velden has said that the company “want[s] Tilly to be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman.”[5]
Just at the end of September, at the Zurich Summit, Van der Velden revealed that her recently launched AI talent studio Xicoia, a spin-off from Particle6, is in discussions with numerous talent agencies who are interested in signing Tilly.[6] An announcement as to which talent agency is going to be representing Tilly can be expected in the coming months.[7]
This news has not been well received by actors.[8] Several actors have gone to Tilly’s Instagram page and left comments expressing their anger and frustration.[9] As a result of this backlash, the comments on both Tilly’s and Van der Velden’s Instagram accounts are currently turned off.[10] Sean Astin, the new president of SAG-AFTRA (the actors’ Union) said that the Union will be addressing this issue in their upcoming agreement talks with the Association of Talent Agents.[11] The Association of Talent Agents is the trade association that represents major talent firms. [12] Astin noted that among the Union’s concerns are how their work is being used and what permissions and compensation actors will receive.[13]
SAG-AFTRA released a statement saying that “[t]he Union is opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics.”[14] The Union does not think of Tilly as an actor, but rather as a computer-generated character “that was trained on the work of countless professional performers — without permission or compensation.”[15] Actors are concerned with the with the way that AI systems are being trained with their permission or proper compensation, thus infringing on their intellectual property rights.[16] However, Van der Velden does not seem to believe that it is her production company’s job to ensure that the AI systems are ethically trained.[17] Back in July with initially announcing Tilly as an “AI actress,” Van der Velden indicated that she was not concerned with how the AI is trained.[18] She compares it to her little concern of whether a director had paid licenses on everything that had trained them.[19] She said that it is up to the tech companies and rights holders to figure out what training mechanisms are used for the AI and who pays for the information that the AI is trained on.[20]
The use of generative AI was one of SAG-AFTRA’s central concerns when negotiating their contract with AMPTP in 2023.[21] The agreement between the parties says that the “parties acknowledge the importance of human performance.”[22] However, there is nothing that really prevents producers/studios from using generative AI synthetic performers instead of real actors.[23] Producers are just contractually obligated to give notice and negotiate in good faith with the Union if the Producer is considering using a synthetic performer instead of a real human actor.[24] Only time will tell what Tilly Norwood’s success as an AI actress will be. Will a Hollywood agent sign her or will her “career” be over before it starts?
[1] Eline Van Der Velden, Meet Tilly Norwood, the AI actress changing Hollywood., LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/ [https://perma.cc/MG3L-5WSP].
[2] Video posted by Tilly Norwood (@tillynorwood), Instagram, Can’t believe it… my first ever role is live! (July 30, 2025), https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMvOUMeKFaL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link.
[3] Van Der Velden, supra note 1.
[4] Id.
[5] Richard Middleton, How a UK prodco is building the first AI star, Broadcast Now (July 30, 2025), https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/ [https://perma.cc/HJ23-SRS2].
[6] Melanie Goodfellow, Talent Agents Circle AI Actress Tilly Norwood – Zurich Summit, Deadline (Sep. 27, 2025, at 6:14 MST), https://deadline.com/ [https://perma.cc/9RGP-VEHV].
[7] Id.
[8] Clare Duffy, Hollywood is fuming over a new ‘AI actress,’ CNN Business (Oct. 1, 2025, at 10:06 ET), https://www.cnn.com/ [https://perma.cc/D6F7-LFJD].
[9] Id.
[10] Eline Van Der Velden (@elinehq), Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/elinehq/?igsh=MW1kNDE0emhqNHRkOA%3D%3D#; Tilly Norwood (@tillynorwood), Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/tillynorwood/.
[11] Matt Donnelly, SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin Says Union Will Address AI Actress Tilly Norwood With Agents and Continue Fight for AI Compensation, Variety (Oct. 1, 2025, at 13:21 PT), https://variety.com/ [https://perma.cc/ZVU8-R3MU].
[12] Id.
[13] Id.
[14] Press Release, Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, SAG-AFTRA Statement on Synthetic Performer (Sep. 30, 2025), https://www.sagaftra.org/ [https://perma.cc/327C-ZQ66].
[15] Id.
[16] Duffy, supra note 8.
[17] Middleton, supra note 5.
[18] Id.
[19] Id.
[20] Id.
[21] Duffy, supra note 8.
[22] Memorandum of Agreement Between Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, SAG-AFTRA 69 (Dec. 6, 2023), https://www.sagaftra.org/ [https://perma.cc/HRX2-3BVB].
[23] Michael Grothaus, Generative AI uncertainty remains for Hollywood actors, even after SAG-AFTRA ratifies new contract, Fast Company & Inc. (Dec. 6, 2023), https://www.fastcompany.com/ [https://perma.cc/79YH-CQ2C].
[24] See Memorandum of Agreement supra note 22.
