Entertainment
AI-generated actor sparks outrage in Hollywood, as creator seeks representation
Like thousands of actors, Tilly Norwood is looking for a Hollywood agent. Her greatest role? Pretending to be human.
That’s because Tilly Norwood is a 100% AI-generated product, created by Dutch producer and comedian Eline Van der Velden, founder of a company named Xicoia, which bills itself as the world’s first artificial intelligence talent studio. Velden pitches her AI creation as the next Scarlet Johansen, and says there are several agents vying to represent it, CBS News’ Jo Ling Kent reported recently.
Since Velden launched the digital character’s prospective career, Tilly Norwood has been all the talk in Hollywood.
But not in a good way. Guilds, actors and filmmakers have met the Xicoia product with an immediate wave of backlash, protesting that artificial intelligence should not have a starring role in the acting profession. In a statement Tuesday, the Screen Actors Guild said that “creativity is, and should remain, human-centered.”
“To be clear, ‘Tilly Norwood’ is not an actor, it’s a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers — without permission or compensation,” the guild said. “It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we’ve seen, audiences aren’t interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience.”
Actor Sean Aston, who starred in “Lord of the Rings” and “The Goonies,” and was recently elected president of sag AFTRA, emphasized how AI Tilly Norwood is an artificial construct.
“You’re made up of stuff that doesn’t belong to you,” he told CBS News. “Let’s just make sure that credit is given where credit is due.”
Van der Velden, who is also the founder of the AI production studio Particle6, promoted Tilly Norwood last month at the Zurich Summit, the industry sidebar of the Zurich Film Festival. It was there that she said talent agencies were circling Norwood and that she expected to soon announce a signing.
Many in Hollywood hope that never happens.
“Any talent agency that engages in this should be boycotted by all guilds,” wrote Natasha Lyonne on Instagram. The “Russian Doll” star is directing a feature titled “Uncanny Valley” that pledges to use “ethical” artificial intelligence in combination with traditional filmmaking techniques. “Deeply misguided & totally disturbed,” she added. “Not the way. Not the vibe. Not the use.”
Artificial intelligence is often used as a tool in film production, though its implementation is hotly debated. It was a major bargaining point in the lengthy strike by SAG-AFTRA that concluded in late 2023 with some safeguards put in place to protect the use of actors’ likenesses and performances by AI. A yearlong strike by video game actors hinged on AI protections. In July, video game actors approved a new contract that mandates employers obtain written permission to create a digital replica.
But there have been numerous controversies over the use of AI in acting. The Oscar-winning 2024 film “The Brutalist” used artificial intelligence for Hungarian dialogue spoken by Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones’ characters, the revelation of which prompted debate in the industry.
Van der Velden responded to the stir around Tilly Norwood 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,” Van der Velden said on Sunday. “Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity.”
Van der Velden didn’t respond to interview requests Tuesday. In her post, she argued that AI characters should be judged as their own genre.
“Creating Tilly has been, for me, an act of imagination and craftsmanship, not unlike drawing a character, writing a role or shaping a performance,” she added. “It takes time, skill and iteration to bring such a character to life.”
That statement was also shared on Tilly Norwood’s own Instagram account. Posts include photos of the creation drinking coffee, shopping for clothes and preparing for various projects. As of Tuesday, the account had more than 33,000 followers.
“Had such a blast filming some screen tests recently,” one post reads. “Every day feels like a step closer to the big screen.”
Asked what human actors bring to a performance that AI can’t, Aston, SAG-AFTRA’s Aston said “authenticity,” adding, “You can fall in love. Your parents can die. You can you can be in some terrifying situation. The sum of all of our emotional experiences in our life, artificial intelligence can approximate it — it is not real.”
Entertainment
King Charles’ wardrobe reveals obsession with bespoke suits
King Charles is celebrated for his environmental advocacy and decades of public service, but behind palace doors, a far more traditional lifestyle is said to unfold.
According to royal author Tina Brown in her book The Palace Papers, the King has long drawn comparisons to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
Brown suggests that Charles didn’t just admire her style, he embraced it.
From maintaining multiple residences to upholding a distinctly old-world approach to household management, insiders have described a lifestyle that leans into tradition with precision.
The King is believed to favour bespoke tailoring on a significant scale, with dozens of handmade suits, carefully crafted shirts, and a substantial collection of shoes from historic British makers.
Footwear, in particular, is said to be maintained with near-military discipline, reflecting a longstanding royal emphasis on presentation.
Inside royal residences, the same level of care is said to apply.
Past accounts describe highly specific expectations for staff from the exact placement of everyday items to the readiness of rooms at any given moment.
Some of these traditions echo habits once associated with the Queen Mother herself, who was known for her exacting standards, from how fireplaces were prepared to how rooms were arranged before bedtime.
During earlier years, when Queen Camilla still smoked, staff were said to prepare rooms in advance with neatly arranged accessories, ensuring everything was positioned just so.
Entertainment
Indigo Girls’ Emily Saliers reveals incurable medical disorder: “My voice will not be what it was”
Emily Saliers, one-half of the Atlanta folk duo the Indigo Girls, has revealed that she has been diagnosed with two incurable movement disorders that will forever change the way that she sings.
Saliers and Amy Ray posted a video on Instagram on Friday in which the singer acknowledged that many of her fans have noticed “that my voice is not what it once was.”
Saliers revealed that he had been diagnosed with cervical dystonia with torticollis, a rare neurological disorder in which the brain sends signals that cause involuntary muscle contractions in the neck.
“It’s impossible for me to hold my head centrally without shaking,” she said.
Natasha Moustache / Getty Images
The other disorder, described by Saliers as harder for her, is an essential tremor, which she says causes involuntary shakes and movements in her jaw, throat, and diaphragm. Because of the condition, Saliers says she now has a vibrato in her singing, which she calls “horrible.”
“I am completely physically unable to hold a straight tone the way I used to, and this is what you, our community, have come to, I think, appreciate and love about our harmonies is the way we can hold long straight tones together,” she said.
Saliers said that she was doing everything she could to mitigate the disorders, including therapeutic massage, physical therapy, acupuncture, and Botox shots in her neck and shoulders. She is also working with a vocal coach who specializes in the type of disorders.
“Unfortunately, there is no cure for these, so the honest fact is that my voice will not be what it was,” Saliers said. “That’s really hard for me.”
The announcement comes as the band is set to begin a months-long tour, which includes a free concert in Decatur, Georgia as part of the FIFA 2026 World Cup events.
The pair said that they will be doing “everything we can” to make the songs sound as good as they possibly can, including adding other singers and using digital tools.
The announcement was met with a large number of comments from fans and other artists, including Brandi Carlile, Sara Bareilles, and Chely Wright, supporting Saliers and Ray.
Entertainment
start time, schedule, route—here’s your complete guide
Boston Marathon Monday morning is buzzing with the sunrise at Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
It’s a day of celebration, road closures, and a dazzling race as it hits the milestone of 130 years.
From weather forecast to start time, schedule, and route map, we have got you covered.
The 2026 Boston Marathon is expected to draw over 30,000 athletes from almost 130 countries, with entrants from all 50 states of America, per Boston Athletic Association.
The Boston Marathon is a hard nut to crack, and it just keeps getting tougher with each passing year.
According to the BMA, “This year’s cut-off time needed to gain acceptance into the Boston Marathon was four minutes, thirty-four seconds or faster (4:34) than the qualifying time for each respective age group and gender.”
Where does the Boston Marathon go?
The Boston Marathon kicks off on Main Street in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
Athletes will then follow Route 135 through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, and Wellesley to where Route 135 turns toward Route 16.
The course follows along Route 16 until the fire station at Commonwealth Avenue, a point where runners will take a turn on the right and begin the stretch of Newton Hills.
After Heartbreak Hill from mile 20 to 21, runners will head across the Chestnut Hill Reservoir before turning left onto Beacon Street
From there, runners will have approximately four miles to the finish line.
They will continue through Brookline, Kenmore Square, and under Massachusetts Avenue.
Finally, the iconic turns await at the finish: right onto Hereford Street and left onto Boylston Street for the final sprint.
The Marathon finish line is set near the Boston Public Library in Copley Square.
What time does the Boston Marathon start today?
The 130th edition of the Boston Marathon will kick off the first race for Men’s Wheelchair at 9:06 a.m. ET, with the following start times for athletes competing in the day’s races as listed by the association.
Women’s Wheelchair at 9:09 a.m. ET
Handcycle & Duo Participants at 9:30 a.m. ET
Professional Men at 9:37 a.m. ET
Professional Women at 9:47 a.m. ET
Para Athletics Divisions at 9:50 a.m. ET
Wave 1 at 10 a.m. ET
Wave 2 at 10:25 a.m. ET
Wave 3 at 10:50 a.m. ET
Wave 4 at 11:15 a.m. ET
Boston Marathon 2026 will be covered live by ABC for all Boston-area viewers, with broadcast starting at 4 a.m. this morning, Monday, April 20, 2026.
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