Theresa Tilly

Biography

Theresa Tilly made a monstrous feature film debut as Shelly in Sam Raimi's influential classic, The Evil Dead (1981). After working as a stand-up comedian in her hometown of Detroit, she set her sights on acclaimed improv comedy troupe The Second City Chicago. Her work there earned her a role on a sketch comedy pilot called YouTV, co-starring alongside late-night TV legend Steve Allen. Although the show was not picked up, it served as an impetus for the budding performer to move to Los Angeles in order to pursue her acting career. Tilly has since appeared in over 100 films, TV shows, plays, and commercials, including: Debutante (1998), opposite Selma Blair and Josh Hartnett; Back in the Day (2014), written and directed by actor Michael Rosenbaum; Appearances, a PBS special written by celebrated author Elmore Leonard; Brutal Massacre: A Comedy (2007), alongside the late horror icon Gunnar Hansen; and Oz The Great and Powerful (2013), which reunited her with The Evil Dead director Sam Raimi. She was also the first female to announce ESPN's ESPY Awards.

Most Known For

Family Law

as Witness

The Evil Dead

as Shelly

Oz the Great and Powerful

as Quadling Seamstress

Appearances

Stomping Ground

as Susan

Debutante

as Nan's mother

The Prototype

as Jenna

American Fable

as Anna Winters

Back in the Day

as Mrs. Miller

Brutal Massacre: A Comedy

as Waitress

Hail to the Deadites

as Self

Dangerous Women

as Shelly

One by One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of The Evil Dead

as Self

Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist

as Self

The Ladies of the Evil Dead Meet Bruce Campbell

Torro. Torro. Torro!

Life After Dead: The Ladies of the Evil Dead

as Self