Tilly Norwood is a virtual photorealistic “actress” that Particle6 designed and launched to work across films, podcasts, YouTube, and video games, find out more below
As Hollywood charges ahead with AI, Particle6’s new creation has sparked intense backlash from various talent agencies and professionals.
Who is Tilly Norwood, AI actress created by Particle6’s Xicoia and is she real or fake
Multiple talent agents are reportedly interested in signing AI actress #TillyNorwood, created by actress, comedian and technologist Eline Van der Velden through her AI company Xicoiais.
In response to growing criticism, Eline shared a statement that read: “Tilly is not a… pic.twitter.com/gRl4SFydlY
— Cinemania World (@Cinemania_World) September 28, 2025
Tilly’s debut has seemingly rattled the film industry, and her debut marks a calculated push toward synthetic stardom.
Particle6 launches Tilly Norwood
Particle6 recently introduced Tilly Norwood at the Zurich Film Festival in September 2025 through its AI image-generation studio, Xicoia. The company built Xicoia to create digital stars from scratch, including characters who can act, speak, and perform without ever setting foot on a set. Unsurprisingly, their goal has proved controversial, as they look to replace traditional actors with flawless and tireless digital avatars.
Tilly Norwood is an AI actor and British-accented brunette who has even reenacted Sydney Sweeney’s great jeans ad. She has big eyes and pouty lips with Van der Velden revealing she wanted Norwood “to be the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman.” Tilly isn’t a real actress but is AI generated with her age not revealed yet.
Tilly Norwood to have a fictional backstory and personal life
Besides just presenting and designing the character, Xicoia’s team has written a full fictional backstory and “personal life” for Tilly. As a result, Tilly will exist both on-screen and “off-screen,” just like a Muppet or a comic book hero. Programmers are also continuously generating and updating their personality, giving her a sense of identity that audiences can follow and relate to. Xicoia reportedly has plans to roll out dozens of similar characters, each with its own unique story.
Tilly Norwood origins and functions
Xicoia has reportedly engineered Tilly Norwood to perform multiple roles across the entertainment industry. Studios can reportedly license her for use in movies, podcasts, YouTube videos, and even video games. Notably, Tilly doesn’t age, doesn’t get tired, and never negotiates a contract. While Hollywood executives initially brushed off the concept, studios eventually started shifting gears within months and started investing in AI “actors.” Following the move, Hollywood is now treating Tilly like a real talent, with Particle6 even negotiating with talent agencies to represent her.
Particle6 CEO Eline Van der Velden clarifies
i went to high school with tilly norwood and she said the n word all the time https://t.co/9zIHlCjYg2
— Patrick Doran (@lunch_enjoyer) September 29, 2025
In response to the backlash, Particle6 CEO Eline Van der Velden clarified:
“We believe the next generation of cultural icons will be synthetic—stars that never tire, never age, and can interact with fans.”
She also revealed how several studios secretly use AI tech despite its unpopularity while waiting for the right moment to go public. After all the intense backlash, Van der Velden clarified that Tilly isn’t meant to replace humans but to act as a “creative work.” She emphasized that Tilly will play the role of an artistic experiment and not a threat to human performers.
Reactions from professional actors
Unsurprisingly, the acting community hasn’t taken Tilly Norwood’s debut lightly. Whoopi Goldberg slammed the idea, saying:
“You can always, always tell the difference between a real actor and an animated one.”
Other actors also joined in, with Melissa Barrera writing:
“I hope all actors repped by the agent that does this, drop their a. How gross, read the room.”
Mara Wilson also went on to criticize the absurdity of building Tilly from real actresses’ likenesses, stating:
“It would make more logical sense to, you know, hire one of them instead.”
Meanwhile, Lukas Gage took a sarcastic jab, joking:
“She was very unprofessional, never hit her marks, and kept forgetting her lines.”
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