Meg Tilly

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Meg Tilly
Born Margaret Elizabeth Chan
(1960-02-14) February 14, 1960 (age 53)
Long Beach, California, United States
Occupation Actress, novelist
Years active 1980–1995, 2010–present
Spouse(s) Tim Zinnemann (m. 1983–1989)
John Calley (m. 1995–2002)
Don Calame (m. 2002)
Partner(s) Colin Firth (1989–1994)
Children 3
Website
www.officialmegtilly.com

Meg Tilly (born 14 February 1960) is an Oscar-nominated Canadian-American actress and published novelist. She is the younger sister of actress and poker player, Jennifer Tilly.

Contents

Early life [edit]

Tilly, the third of four children, was born Margaret Elizabeth Chan in Long Beach, California,[1] the daughter of Patricia (née Tilly), a Canadian schoolteacher, and businessman Harry Chan.[2][3]

Tilly's father was Chinese American, and her mother was of Irish, Finnish, and First Nations descent.[4] Following her parents' divorce when she was three, she was raised by her mother and stepfather, John Ward, on rural Texada Island in British Columbia. She graduated from Esquimalt High School in Victoria, British Columbia. She has a brother, Steve, and two sisters, Rebecca and Jennifer.

Career [edit]

Acting [edit]

She was involved with the Connecticut Ballet Company as a teen, as well as the Throne Dance Theatre. She made her screen debut with Alan Parker's Fame in 1980. When a dance partner dropped her, causing a serious back injury, her dance career came to a shattering halt.

She then became an actress. She played a prostitute in a second season episode of Hill Street Blues before she appeared in films such as The Big Chill and Psycho II before her acclaimed title role in Agnes of God, for which she received an Oscar nomination and won a Golden Globe. Tilly later appeared in Valmont, The Two Jakes with Jack Nicholson and Leaving Normal, as well as the 1993 horror film, Body Snatchers.

Tilly was the first choice for the role of Constanze Mozart in Milos Forman's film Amadeus, having received glowing appraisals of her rehearsal work by both her would-be costar Tom Hulce and director Forman. However, she sustained a leg injury playing soccer and had to abandon the project. The role later went to Elizabeth Berridge. Tilly portrayed the Blessed Mother, a Pope-like figure in the Caprica episode "Unvanquished".

Tilly returned to acting in 2011 playing Martha in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,[5] presented by the Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre in Victoria, B.C.[6]

In January 2012 Global Television in Canada launched the six-part Bomb Girls about women who work in a munitions factory during World War II.[7] Tilly stars as Lorna, the emotionally closed floor matron who blossoms as a leader and an appealing woman.[8] She won the 2013 Lead Actress, Drama Canadian Screen Award for her work on the series.

Writing [edit]

Tilly wrote a novel, Singing Songs, comprising a series of vignettes about a young girl whose stepfather molests her and her sisters.[citation needed] A second novel, Gemma, came out in October 2006. Her third novel, Porcupine, is a finalist for the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. Her novel, First Time, published in 2008.[citation needed]

Personal life [edit]

She has three children: Emily (born 1984) and David (born 1986) by her marriage to film producer Tim Zinnemann, which ended in 1989, and a son, Will (born 1990), from her five-year relationship with British actor Colin Firth. Her second husband, John Calley, was 30 years her senior. He is a former president of Sony Pictures; they were married in 1995 and divorced in 2002.[9] She is now married to author Don Calame.[10]

Filmography [edit]

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1980 Fame Principal Dancer
1982 One Dark Night Julie Wells
1982 Tex Jamie Collins
1983 Psycho II Mary Loomis
1983 Big Chill, TheThe Big Chill Chloe
1984 Impulse Jennifer
1985 Agnes of God Sister Agnes
1986 Off Beat Rachel Wareham
1988 Masquerade Olivia Lawrence
1988 Girl in a Swing, TheThe Girl in a Swing Karin
1989 Valmont Madame de Tourvel
1990 Two Jakes, TheThe Two Jakes Kitty Berman
1992 Leaving Normal Marianne
1993 Body Snatchers Carol Malone
1994 Sleep with Me Sarah
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1981 Trouble with Grandpa, TheThe Trouble with Grandpa Dorie TV film
1982 Hill Street Blues Hooker Episode: "Some Like It Hot-Wired"
1989 Nightmare Classics Carmilla Episode: "Carmilla"
1990 In the Best Interest of the Child Jennifer Colton TV film
1993 Road to Avonlea Evelyn Grier Episode: "Evelyn"
1993 Fallen Angels' Lois Weldon Episode: "Dead End for Delia"
1994 Winnetka Road George Grace Main role (6 episodes)
1994 Trick of the Eye Faith Crowell TV film
1995 Journey Min TV film
2010 Caprica Mother Episode: "Unvanquished"
Episode: "The Heavens Will Rise"
2012 Bomb Girls Lorna Corbett Main role (6 episodes)

Awards/Nominations [edit]

Awards
Year Award Category Production Result
1984 Saturn Award Best Supporting Actress Psycho II Nominated
1986 Oscar Best Actress in a Supporting Role Agnes of God Nominated
1986 Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Agnes of God Won
2012 Leo Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series Bomb Girls Won
2012 Golden Nymph Outstanding Actress in a Mini-Series Bomb Girls Nominated

References [edit]

  1. ^ According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905–1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California.
  2. ^ "Meg Tilly Biography". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 1, 2012.  Text "0/Meg-Tilly/ " ignored (help)
  3. ^ "Meg Tilly Biography". FilmReference.com. Retrieved February 1, 2012. 
  4. ^ "Meg Tilly is Asian Irish". Asiance. March 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2012. "[Meg] is the daughter of Patricia Tilly, an Irish and Native-American schoolteacher and Harry Chan, a Chinese American used car salesman... 'My mother was Irish/Finnish...'" 
    • "Bio, Pictures and Videos of Poker Pro: Jennifer Tilly". Bankroll Boost. Retrieved January 31, 2012. "[Jennifer's] father was a Chinese-American stockbroker and her mother an Irish-Canadian." 
    • Rose, Tiffany (November 19, 2004). "Jennifer Tilly: Little voice, big talent". The Independent (London). Retrieved January 31, 2012. "[Jennifer] Tilly, who owes her exotic looks to her Chinese/Native American blood..." 
  5. ^ Chamberlain, Adrian (July 7, 2011). "Meg Tilly's leap of faith|". Times Colonist (Victoria). Retrieved February 2, 2012.  (subscription required).
  6. ^ "Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre. Retrieved February 2, 2012. 
  7. ^ Vlessing, Etan (August 25, 2011). "Meg Tilly Takes Lead in Canadian 'Bomb Girls' Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 2, 2012. 
  8. ^ Chamberlain, Adrian (December 21, 2011). "From minx to matron – with no regrets". Times Colonist (Victoria). Retrieved February 2, 2012. 
    • Chamberlain, Adrian (December 22, 2011). "From Minx to Matron". Times Colonist (Victoria). Retrieved February 2, 2012.  (subscription required).
  9. ^ "imdb.com". IMDb. Retrieved September 13, 2011. 
  10. ^ Boshoff, Alison (January 21, 2011). "The family Colin Firth left behind: How he will always be in debt to the reclusive beauty who bore his first son". MailOnline (London). Retrieved January 30, 2012. 

External links [edit]
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