Meg Tilly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Meg Tilly
Tilly in 2013
Born	Margaret Elizabeth Chan (1960-02-14) February 14, 1960 (age 65) Long Beach, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress writer
Years active	1980–1995, 2010–present (acting) 1994–present (writing)
Spouse(s)	Tim Zinnemann ​ ​ (m. 1983; div. 1989)​ John Calley ​ ​ (m. 1995; div. 2002)​ Don Calame ​ (m. 2002)​
Partner(s)	Colin Firth (1989–1994)
Children	3
Relatives	Jennifer Tilly (sister)

Meg Tilly (born Margaret Elizabeth Chan on February 14, 1960) is a talented American-Canadian actress and writer. She is known for her roles in movies like Agnes of God, which earned her a Golden Globe Award. She also starred in the TV series Bomb Girls, for which she won a Canadian Screen Award.

Beyond acting, Meg Tilly has written several novels. Her book Porcupine was even a finalist for a special award for children's literature.

Early Life and Dance Dreams

Meg Tilly was born in Long Beach, California, on February 14, 1960. Her mother, Patricia Ann Tilly, was a Canadian teacher. Her father, Harry Chan, was a Chinese-American businessman. Meg is the younger sister of actress Jennifer Tilly.

When Meg was three, her parents divorced. She then grew up with her mother and stepfather, John Ward, on Texada Island in British Columbia, Canada. At age 12, Meg started taking dance lessons. She quickly became a very skilled ballerina.

After high school, Tilly moved to the United States. She wanted to become a professional dancer. She studied in New York City and joined the Connecticut Ballet Company. Sadly, her dance career ended in 1979. She suffered a serious back injury when a dance partner dropped her. Despite this, she made her first movie appearance as a dancer in the 1980 film Fame.

Acting Career Highlights

Since she could no longer dance, Meg Tilly decided to try acting. She moved to Los Angeles and began studying acting.

Early Film Roles

In 1983, Meg Tilly starred in the horror film One Dark Night. She also appeared in Psycho II with Anthony Perkins. That same year, she was in the popular film The Big Chill. This movie was nominated for three Academy Awards and helped her career a lot.

Meg was almost cast in the famous movie Amadeus. However, she injured her leg playing soccer and had to leave the project.

Tilly in 1985

In 1985, Tilly got a very important role in Agnes of God. She played a young nun in the film. Her performance was highly praised. It earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination.

After this, she appeared in movies like Valmont (1989) and The Two Jakes (1990). She also starred in the 1993 horror film Body Snatchers. After this, she took a break from acting for about 15 years.

Return to Acting

Meg Tilly returned to acting in 2010. She appeared in an episode of the TV series Caprica. In 2012, she took on a main role in the Canadian TV series Bomb Girls. The show was about women working in a factory during World War II. Tilly played Lorna, a factory matron. Her performance won her the 2013 Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

Writing Journey

Meg Tilly is also a successful author. She has published many novels.

Her first novel, Singing Songs, came out in 1994. It received good reviews from critics. Her second novel, Gemma, was published in 2006.

Books for Young Readers

In 2007, Tilly published her third novel, Porcupine. This book is about a 12-year-old girl named Jacqueline "Jack" Cooper. Her life changes after her father dies in the War in Afghanistan. Porcupine was a finalist for the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. It was also recognized by several Canadian libraries.

Her fourth novel, First Time, was published in 2008. It also received awards and recognition.

In 2013, Tilly published A Taste of Heaven. This novel is different from her earlier, darker books. It tells the story of two young girls who become friends. It explores the funny and sometimes sad parts of being a tween. This book was also shortlisted for several awards and won the Chocolate Lilly Award.

Her sixth novel, Behind the Scenes, was published in 2014. More recently, Tilly has written a series of romantic thrillers called the Solace Island trilogy. She also published a new romantic thriller, The Runaway Heiress, in 2021.

Personal Life

In 1983, Meg Tilly married Tim Zinnemann, a film producer. They had two children, Emily and David. Their marriage ended in 1989.

From 1989 to 1994, Tilly was in a relationship with British actor Colin Firth. They had one son, William Joseph.

In 1995, Tilly married John Calley, a film executive. They divorced in 2002.

Since 2002, Meg Tilly has been married to author Don Calame. He writes books for young adults. They met at a writing seminar. Since 1999, Tilly has lived in the Gulf Islands, British Columbia.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Published works

See also

In Spanish: Meg Tilly para niños