Did You Catch That Jennifer Tilly Easter Egg in the 'Chucky' Premiere?
Published Oct. 19 2021, 11:34 a.m. ET
We can't think of anything more beautiful than Jennifer Tilly's love for Chucky — other than her love for Tiffany. The Oscar-nominated actress and poker champion (known for winning the 2005 Ladies no-limit Texas Hold 'Em event) has been loyal to the Child's Play franchise since she debuted as Tiffany Valentine in 1998's Bride of Chucky. Just look at the Bound star's Twitter; she's sweetly found solace in the horror-comedy series.
Fans of the vampy bombshell's quick wit and signature babydoll voice can catch Jennifer in the new Chucky series. The show — which sees original Child's Play screenwriter Don Mancini and producer David Kirschner as executive producers — is getting stellar reviews from critics and fans alike. There's something so timeless about that legendary foul-mouthed, serial-killing ginger doll.
Though we don't know much about how Jennifer Tilly's Tiffany Valentine will fit into the plot just yet, she made a discreet appearance in the show's series premiere. Did you catch the Easter egg?
Jennifer Tilly can be spotted lurking at the yard sale in the 'Chucky' series premiere.
Hey there, Jen. We see you! Considering her face isn't shown, it's easy to miss Jennifer Tilly slinking past a neighbor's yard sale in Episode 1, titled "Death by Misadventure." Wearing a crimson pea coat and a pink silk headscarf, she's got a piece of platinum blonde hair poking out of it. Yup, that's Tiffany Valentine.
Mrs. Jolly (Precious Chong), who's running the yard sale, isn't sure how she acquired Chucky. When teenage protagonist Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur) asks her where she got the mysterious vintage Good Guys doll (which Jake insists isn't vintage, but rather "retro") she answers, "I have no idea. It must've been my daughter's, I guess."
We have a theory: Perhaps Tiffany Valentine showed up at the yard sale with the sole purpose of dropping Chucky off, hoping someone would purchase him. Why? Well, we'll have to wait and see.
Jennifer Tilly originally "fought tooth and nail" against playing Tiffany Valentine.
See, back in the late '90s, Jennifer Tilly was a recently Oscar-nominated actress for her portrayal of Olive Neal in 1994's Bullets Over Broadway, so she saw a Child's Play sequel as beneath her. “I said, ‘A Chucky movie?! I am not doing a Chucky movie!,” she relayed to Page Six. “Because I just came off of Bullets Over Broadway, an Oscar nomination, and I thought I was gonna be like Dame Judi Dench or something.” But after reading the script, Jennifer had a change of heart.
Aside from the big bucks she admitted to being offered, Jennifer described the Bride of Chucky script as being “just so funny and witty and also poignant.” Though playing murderous sexpot Tiffany Valentine was not what she had originally pictured for her career, the role was perhaps her saving grace. Recently, Jennifer got candid about how grateful she is for Child's Play creator Don Mancini (who's also one of her best friends), as he saved her from playing "grandma" roles.
We all know how brutal Hollywood is when it comes to ageism (among other things), and 63-year-old Jennifer knows she's not getting any younger — though she looks beyond fantastic. "I'm making out with men. I'm making out with women. I'm being really mean to small kids. Every once in a while, I kill somebody. I've got the cleavage. I've got the 5-inch-high heels. I love my life!" she told 2021 New York Comic Con attendees.
Though Jennifer's loyalty to the somewhat silly slasher franchise is unmatched, she knows that all good things come to an end. “I feel like I’m hanging on by a thread. I know I can’t play Tiffany forever. I feel like eventually, I’ll have to pass the baton onto a newer, younger generation," she told Page Six.
Well, that likely won't be for a while, because we can't think of anyone who'd play Chucky's Jessica Rabbit-like sidekick and lover better than Jennifer. She's his friend 'til the end.
New episodes of Chucky air Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. EST on Syfy and USA Network.