After an unpopular thirteenth season of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and a slew of cast member departures, the longstanding Bravo franchise is slowly starting to shake things up. Though it's not a full reboot like Real Housewives of New York, the series is getting some new faces for the fourteenth season, including Jennifer Tilly as a "friend" of the housewives.
The Oscar-nominated actress is best known for the role of Tiffany Valentine in one of the best horror movie franchises, Chucky. With years of experience on scary movie sets and getting to chase people for fun, one would assume that stepping onto RHOBH would be a piece of cake. But Tilly told the It Happed in Hollywood podcast that the opposite is true, saying:
Oh my god. It's insane. It's, like, scarier than Chucky. I'll tell you that.
That might sound silly to someone who has never watched an episode of RHOBH, but diehard fans of the franchise will definitely understand where she’s coming from. While the glamorous women of Beverly Hills might not run at each other with real knives, they have been known to metaphorically stab each other in the back before. It’s a good thing Tilly has experience with that, from her time as Chucky’s bride.
It also helps that she is easing herself into the drama by taking on the” friend” role instead of joining as a full-time cast member. This means that she’ll only appear on a handful of episodes and most likely won’t have her own story arc going on. The actress and professional poker player is happy about that, saying:
I'm not a housewife. I'm a friend, though, which is a lot easier. You just dip in and out. You try to avoid, like, flying shrapnel and you know? If drinks are thrown, I have good reflexes.
Being a “friend” might keep Tilly out of some of the drama, but if history repeats itself, sometimes those minor roles end up being caught in the middle of the unnecessary drama. After all, the franchise is known for its explosive fights that have turned dangerous, ruining friendships and even family dynamics over the years.
Fortunately, Tilly is no stranger to the RHOBH world, having appeared in a handful of episodes to support her longtime friend and cast member, Sutton Stracke. However, that might not be the best news since Stracke ended Season 13 on rocky waters after being rushed out of the reunion for a medical emergency before she could chat with former cast member Kathy Hilton — who will also be returning as “friend” this season.
Tilly might be expecting an easy (albeit scary) season, but given who her friends are coming in, she had better be prepared for anything. The good news is, if she manages to hold her own and win over the fans, she should be able to transition from “friend” into a full-fledged cast member if she wants. It remains to be seen if the show manages to win back viewers to get picked up for a fifteenth season.
There’s no word on whether Season 14 of RHOBH will premiere as part of the 2024 TV schedule, but fans can get a taste of her “killer” reflexes by watching her in the Chucky franchise, which can be streamed with an active Peacock subscription. Or consider watching the first episode of Season 13 of the reality show to get a sense of her relationship with Stracke, which is also available on the streaming service.
