“Fans of classic ’80s cinema got a rare treat when one of its most reclusive stars shared a snapshot on social media – alongside her equally famous sister. ”, — write: www.dailymail.co.uk
The beauty, now 65, who earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for 1985’s Agnes of God, was spotted in a heartwarming family moment on Instagram, clearly trading Tinseltown glitz for a simpler home life.
It’s perfectly on brand, as she famously walked away from it all in her early 30s to raise her three young children in Canada and give them what she considered ‘a normal life.’
Dressed casually in an apron while cooking in the kitchen, she looked a world away from the glamorous red-carpet ensembles she wore alongside Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, and William Hurt in 1983’s The Big Chill.
The photos show the star — who briefly returned to the spotlight in 2017 as Brad Pitt’s wife in War Machine — preparing a sumptuous feast for Canadian Thanksgiving, the annual harvest celebration held on the second Monday in October.
Joining her in the snaps is sibling Jennifer Tilly, who rose to fame as Tiffany Valentine in the Child’s Play sequels, while also recently appearing on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Can you guess which reclusive star it is?
If you guessed Meg Tilly, you’re right!
Tilly’s career has been nothing short of acclaimed. She won a Golden Globe and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in 1985’s Agnes of God.
Her film credits also include Psycho II (1983), Masquerade (1988), and Valmont (1989).
On the small screen, she won the 2013 Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her work on Bomb Girls (2012–13), proving her talent spans both film and television.
When Meg returned to the screen in 2017 to star opposite Pitt in War Machine, she reflected on her bold decision to step away from Hollywood and pursue a different life.
‘I would always take my children with me when I went on movies,’ she explained to People of the choice to leave acting.
‘That worked really well for a few years. But then one year, we went to shoot Leaving Normal and when we came back, my daughter’s best friend was best friends with someone else. She was devastated.’
Tilly knew she had a difficult choice to make.
‘I couldn’t be gone six to nine months from my children’s lives. I had a challenging childhood, so I didn’t feel like I could trust somebody else to raise them.
‘My children didn’t ask to be born. I had a responsibility to be there.’
Now also a novelist and romance writer, Tilly said she poured herself into being the ultimate ‘June Cleaver’ mom.
‘My daughter once told me, “You think if you just make a big stack of pancakes, it will solve the world’s problems.’”And I did!
‘They had the hot cookies after school and a hot breakfast every morning. I just wanted to be one of those Leave it to Beaver moms. I was just trying to love them the way I knew how best.’
By the time she returned to acting, her three children — Emily, 40, and David, 38, from her first marriage to producer Tim Zinneman, and Will, 34, from her early ’90s relationship with Colin Firth — were grown and out of the house.
Tilly also admitted she didn’t miss the Hollywood hustle.
‘I didn’t allow myself to miss it,’ she told the outlet of stepping away.
‘In those days, the females was kind of the fire hydrant that all the men wanted to prove themselves on. You’d get hit on a lot. That was challenging, dealing with different egos and having to work with people who still wanted to get the girl. It was hard.’
She added, ‘It’s not always great being famous. I love not being watched all the time.’