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Meg Tilly

Meg Tilly, born Margaret Elizabeth Chan on February 14, 1960, in Long Beach, California, is a celebrated actress and author. She is well-known for her notable performances in films such as "Agnes of God," for which she received an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe. Tilly's early life included a move to British Columbia following her parents' divorce and a period of dancing, which ended due to a back injury. She began her acting career with roles in "Fame" and "Hill Street Blues," later achieving acclaim for her work in films including "The Big Chill" and "Psycho II."

After stepping away from acting in the mid-1990s to focus on her family life, Tilly transitioned to writing, publishing several novels that reflect her experiences with childhood adversity. Some of her significant works include "Singing Songs," "Porcupine," and "First Time." Tilly has also returned to the stage and screen, with performances in productions like "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and the Canadian series "Bomb Girls," for which she received a Leo Award. Balancing her professional pursuits, Tilly has had a rich personal life, including multiple marriages and children.

Published in: 2022
By: Henriksen, Erin
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Meg Tilly

Actor, novelist

  • Born: February 14, 1960

Contribution: Meg Tilly is a Canadian American actor and author. She is best known for her roles in movies such as Fame (1980), The Big Chill (1983), and Agnes of God (1985). In addition to her work as an actor, she is also an accomplished novelist.

Early Life and Education

Meg Tilly was born Margaret Elizabeth Chan on February 14, 1960, in Long Beach, California, the third of four children born to Patricia Tilly and Harry Chan. Tilly’s sister, Jennifer Tilly, is also an accomplished actor. Tilly moved to Texada Island, British Columbia with her mother after her parents’ divorce.

As a teenager, Tilly studied dance and performed with the Connecticut Ballet Company in Stamford, Connecticut. However, she left dance after suffering a serious back injury.

Acting Career

Tilly’s first film role came in 1980 as a dancer in the film Fame, directed by Adam Parker. After moving to Los Angeles, she was cast in the television show Hill Street Blues (1981–1987) and in the movies Tex (1982), The Big Chill, and Psycho II (1983). Tilly earned widespread acclaim for her 1985 performance in the film Agnes of God, for which she received an Academy Award nomination (for Best Actress in a Supporting Role) and won a Golden Globe.

Tilly was cast as Mozart’s wife in the movie Amadeus (1984), but was replaced after a leg injury forced her to forgo the part. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Tilly also had parts in the films Valmont (1989), Leaving Normal (1992) and the television movie Journey (1995).

Tilly left acting in the mid-1990s, but appeared in three episodes of the American television series Caprica in 2010. In 2011, Tilly was cast in the lead role as Martha in a production of the play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962) by the Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre in Victoria, British Columbia. In 2012, she appeared in the Canadian television drama Bomb Girls. Her performance in the show earned her a Leo Award for best lead female performance.

Writing Career

After leaving acting, Tilly moved back to British Columbia to focus on raising her children and developing a career as a writer. Her novels, which include graphic accounts of childhood poverty and sexual abuse, are based in part on her own life as a young girl and teenager. Her first book was Singing Songs, published in 1994. It was followed by the novel Gemma (2006), Porcupine (2007), a novel for young adults, and First Time (2008).

Porcupine was nominated for a BC Book Prize, the Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Award, and the Canadian Library Association’s Book of the Year Award for Children.

Personal Life

Tilly married movie producer Tim Zinnemann in 1983. The couple has two children, Emily and David. She and Zinnemann divorced in 1989. In 1990, Tilly had a son, William, with then boyfriend, actor Colin Firth. In 1995, Tilly married John Calley, a producer and the head of Sony Pictures. The couple divorced in 2002. Tilly married writer Don Calame in 2002.

Principal Works

Film

Fame, 1980

The Big Chill, 1983

Agnes of God, 1985

The Two Jakes, 1990

Body Snatchers, 1993

Sleep with Me, 1994

Television

Journey, 1995

Caprica, 2010

Bomb Girls, 2012

Writings

Singing Songs, 2006

Porcupine, 2007

First Time, 2008

Bibliography

Boshoff, Alison. “The Family Colin Firth Left Behind: How He Will Always Be In Debt To The Reclusive Beauty Who Bore His First Son.” Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers Ltd., 21 Jan. 2011. Web. 1 Aug. 2013.

Chiu, Alexis. “Scars of Her Youth.” People. Time Inc., 11 Sept. 2006. Web. 1 Aug. 2013.

Colford, Paul D. “Actress Tilly Lets Voice Be Heard–As A Novelist.” Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company, 17 June 1994. Web. 1 Aug. 2013.

Galehouse, Maggie. “Actress Meg Tilly Rewrites Her Life.” Houston Chronicle. Heart Corporation, 23 Feb. 2010. Web. 1 Aug. 2013.

Hinckley, David. “‘Bomb Girls,’ with Meg Tilly, Isn’t Explosive, But Has Good Stories.” Daily News (New York). Daily News, L.P., 7 Sept. 2012. Web. 1 Aug. 2013.

“Meg Tilly: Finding the Courage.” AbeBooks. Amazon.com, Inc., N.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2013.