Jennifer Tilly Jokes That Joining ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Is ‘Scarier Than Chucky’
Actress Jennifer Tilly may be familiar with facing off against demons on screen, but when it comes to reality stars, it's a whole new ball game.
"Oh my God, it's insane. It's, like, scarier than Chucky. I'll tell you that," the Chucky actress, 65, said of joining the season 14 cast of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills during the Tuesday, July 2, episode of the "It Happened in Hollywood" podcast.
"I'm not a Housewife. I'm a Friend, though, which is a lot easier," she said of her role in the forthcoming season of the long-running Bravo series. "You just dip in and out. You try to avoid, like, flying shrapnel. And you know, if drinks are thrown, I have good reflexes."
Tilly's longtime friend and Bound costar Gina Gershon also appeared on the podcast, revealing that she was once approached by Bravo to join the cast.
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"I was too scared," Gershon, 62, admitted, which prompted Tilly to tell her that she "would be great" on the show.
"You know what? You're gonna be genius on that," Gershon said. "You'll take over that whole set, Jen. I have no doubt. I'd actually even watch it with you on it!"
RHOBH fans have seen the professional poker player on the show before as a Friend. She's appeared in five episodes from 2020 to 2023.
Season 14 of RHOBH is currently filming with returning cast members Kyle Richards, Erika Jayne, Sutton Stracke, Garcelle Beauvais and Dorit Kemsley, plus newcomer Bozoma "Boz" Saint John. Richards' sister, Kathy Hilton, will also return to the series as a Friend this season.
“This cast is so refreshing. It’s a great group of women,” Stracke, 52, exclusively told Us Weekly in June. “We’ll see what happens with what our future entails, but I think we’re all really smart.”
Notably absent from the cast is Crystal Kung Minkoff, who announced her departure from the reality show after three seasons.
"It’s very bittersweet,” Kung Minkoff, 41, who joined the cast in 2021 for season 11, said via Instagram in April. "Never did I think I would have been asked to do the show in a million years, let alone film it for three seasons. Every single year I was asked back, it was a blessing. It was an honor.”
Noting that her “biggest gift” was “connecting” with viewers, she added, “I’m so grateful for everyone’s love and support. This has been such a fun chapter.”
That same month, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that the reality personality was "fired because she didn't deliver," adding, "Producers told her she doesn’t have a storyline, so they had to let her go.”
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Annemarie Wiley, who joined the cast during season 13, announced her departure in March after just one season.
"To say that I’m disappointed is an understatement. I never auditioned for this show,” Wiley, 41, shared in a since-deleted Instagram statement at the time. “The show found me and asked me to be on it out of the blue 6 weeks after the cast had already started filming. I was thrown into filming 2 weeks later, mid-season.”
She added, "To the real fans that saw past what was portrayed and saw the REAL me, thank you so much for the love and support. I wish all the ladies good luck on the next season and thank you Bravo for the opportunity. As an athlete, challenges only make you stronger and more determined to prosper! I’m excited for the new opportunities ahead that celebrate positivity, truth, authenticity, and the values I truly align with.”
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Tilly – who is known for her quips and comedic timing – will prove to be an excellent addition to the cast. In addition to starring on SYFY's Chucky, films Bride of Chucky, Seed of Chucky, Curse of Chucky and more, the comedian has appeared in over 100 TV shows and movies, including Liar Liar, Hill Street Blues, Key West and The Haunted Mansion.
She is also an accomplished voice actress, having voiced Bonnie Swanson on Family Guy since 1999 and Celia in Monsters, Inc.