Jennifer Tilly credits Chucky showrunner Don Mancini with giving her new emotional depths to explore through her iconic villain, Tiffany, in Season 3 of their TV horror-comedy.
"You never know what's going to happen and it's always unexpected -- the twists and the turns," Tilly told UPI in a recent Zoom interview.
"I love the humanity that Don brought to Tiffany this season," the 65-year-old actress said.
"Usually, when I am doing Tiffany, I wear push-up bras and I saunter in and people are getting killed and whatever and I just basically make the wisecracks and leave," she said.
"But he put in a lot of scenes where you see what really drives Tiffany. What drives her this season is her needing love."
Wrapping up its third season Wednesday on Syfy, USA and Peacock, the sequel series to Mancini's popular film franchise has been following the titular demon doll (voiced by Brad Dourif), as he rapidly ages while wreaking havoc at the White House.
Bullets Over Broadway, Fabulous Baker Boys and Monsters Inc actress Tilly plays psychotic bombshell Tiffany, protector of the wicked, foul-mouthed toy, which is possessed by the spirit of her dead boyfriend, serial killer Charles Lee Ray.
Alyvia Alyn Lind, Zackary Arthur and Bjorgvin Amarson play Lexy, Jake and Devon, respectively -- teens determined to kill Chucky after he terrorized them and killed their families in Ray's hometown of Hackensack, N.J.
"I've always said to Don that I think that Tiffany and Chucky are a great love story," said Tilly, who also appeared in most of Mancini's Chucky movies.
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"The reason she hates him so much is because she loves him," she added. "Chucky is the epitome of toxic masculinity. He's not somebody you can have a positive relationship with. She doesn't get what she needs from Chucky."
Sadly, probably the healthiest romance Tiffany has ever enjoyed was with Nica (Fiona Dourif), a former mental institution patient who is possessed occasionally by Ray when he takes breaks from his Chucky doll body.
"Nica is compassionate. She is a real person, actually feels sorry for Tiffany and kind of saw the vulnerability in her, so, Tiffany transferred her love from Chucky to Nica-Chucky. It was a 'best-of-both-worlds' thing with Chucky because Nica was soft and she's nice to me."
That romance doesn't last forever, however, as Tiffany amputates Nica's arms and legs so she can control her if Ray's spirit inhabits her, and then keeps her as a prisoner.
This season, Tiffany is facing her own mortality.
"She did some very bad things, and now she is in prison and she is facing the death chamber," Tilly said about her character finally being forced to pay for what she did to Nica, as well as the many murders she helped Chucky commit and cover up.
"Now she just wants to see if there's anybody out there who will care if she's gone," Tilly said of Tiffany.
"The people that she loves the most are Glen and Glenda, her children, now known as GG because Glen and Glenda went into a doll and became one [person]. Tiffany keeps asking, 'Have you heard from GG?' because she wants to know that they love her and maybe she wasn't a bad mother."
Even though Tiffany is making the best of her life behind bars for much of Season 3, that doesn't mean she is staying out of trouble.
"She doesn't like people telling her what to do. She has anger issues, as you see when she 'voodooed' Nia Vardalos to death. She doesn't like being judged," Tilly said.
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"She got her voodoo dolls and then she enchanted all the prison guards, and now they're all really nice to her. They are her minions. They bring her cute, sparkly outfits."
The fact that Chucky, GG's father, is trapped in a decomposing plastic body means he, too, may be reflecting on his life and decisions.
"When Chucky turns into an old man and thinks he's dying, that's a really good moment for Tiffany," Tilly said, noting they communicate by phone and she can't see how revolting he looks.
"She really wants Chucky to need her. It's the first time, maybe in their whole relationship, that he's vulnerable and he shows that he cares about her and needs her.
"She really likes that she can give him advice and he's not brushing her off or telling her she is stupid. She can really do something for him and that's important to her."
Tilly said she appreciates that Mancini, her longtime friend and collaborator, always includes her in his storytelling. She hopes the show will be green-lit for a fourth season, so they can continue working together.
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"A lot of people would say, 'This franchise has been going on for a long time and Jennifer Tilly is a little long in the tooth and maybe we'll bring in a younger Tiffany or we don't need Tiffany. Let's bring in a younger, hotter girl for Tiffany.'
"But not Don!" she added. "I have a feeling that when I'm 90 years old, Don will have a part for me in Chucky!"