A rather absurd (but inevitable?) development Hollywood may soon witness. A curious inversion of its traditional stardom: human actors falling while AI-generated performers rise to prominence?
The late Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense, once quipped that “all actors must be treated like cattle.” Today, the metaphor feels almost prescient. In the emerging era of artificial intelligence, some actors may not exist in the traditional sense at all.
Enter Tilly Norwood, a fully AI-generated actress whose creation has ignited intense debate across the industry. Talent agencies have reportedly been circling Norwood even before her official debut, signaling that Hollywood’s fascination with digital stars is far from just a conspiracy.
The Hollywood Reporter notes that:
Over the weekend, a host of actors responded to the news that agencies were circling Norwood. The threat of AI has long haunted industry creatives, and regulations around the craft became a linchpin clause through the SAG-AFTRA strikes of 2023.
Variety reports that Eline Van der Velden, the creator of Norwood, addressed the backlash on Instagram:
To those who have expressed anger over the creation of my AI character, Tilly Norwood, she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work – a piece of art. Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity.
I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool, a new paintbrush. Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories. I’m an actor myself, and nothing – certainly not an AI character – can take away the craft or joy of human performance.
Van der Velden confirmed that talent agencies are actively vying to represent the AI character herself—not Van der Velden—in the coming months.
The response from Hollywood’s human actors has been swift and vocal. Are these protests a fight for artistic sanity, or a desperate clutching at relevance, akin to Norma Desmond in “Sunset Boulevard,” fading under the relentless march of time and technology?
Emily Blunt appeared stunned by the revelation and struggled to articulate her feelings. “Does it disappoint me? I don’t know quite how to answer that, other than to say how terrifying this is,” she admitted. When shown Norwood’s image, the actress reacted with disbelief: “No, are you serious? That’s an AI? Good Lord, we’re screwed. That is really, really scary.”
As AI technology continues to advance, the line between digital and human performance is blurring. Whether Tilly Norwood becomes a fleeting curiosity or a sign of a new Hollywood remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the age of purely human stars is being threatened.
Reeves is supposed to direct, David E. Kelley is writing, and just like that, Apple got cold feet — the usual “creative differences” excuse is being cited in the report, and maybe that was indeed the case.