The Simpsons is one of the most successful sitcoms of all time, and this is evident in its history. The series has been on air since 1989 and continues to release new episodes to this day. Over the years, there have been many cameos from stars. One of them received several million dollars annually, even though she appeared in only one episode.
Which actress is it? In episode 4 of season 24, Grampa on the Lam
, actress Jennifer Tilly appears as herself. She appears in a poker tutorial video that Lisa watches in the episode.
Most people probably know Jennifer Tilly from the Chucky series, in which she also last appeared in season 3 of the show. She has been working as an actress since 1983 and was even nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film Bullets Over Broadway in 1995.
With the Simpsons, she earned several million US dollars each year, and this had nothing to do with her guest role. It was about a divorce and the untapped potential of the series.
No one knew that ‘The Simpsons’ would continue for trillions of years
What led her to earn several million US dollars? Between 1984 and 1991, she was married to Sam Simon. The television producer co-created the famous series with Matt Groening and James L. Brooks. As a team, they produced the early episodes of the series.
In 1993, he left the show but negotiated royalties from which he received a percentage. Initially, he thought it was a bad deal, but during an appearance on the show 60 Minutes (via CBS News), he revised that thought in 2007:
When I was there, I thought I was underpaid. I thought I wasn’t getting enough recognition for my work. Now I think it’s exactly the opposite. I’m getting too much recognition for my work. And the money is ridiculous.
In that format, he also explains that since his departure in 1993, he has made well over 10 million dollars a year, solely from royalties. Jennifer Tilly also benefited from this, receiving parts of his Simpsons contracts during their divorce in 1991. She also stated, No one knew that ‘The Simpsons’ would continue for trillions of years
. (via Business Insider).
She was very grateful for that. In the podcast The Originals, she explained in 2021 that she made many films just to earn money for things like plumbing or leaking roofs. Thanks to the royalties, she no longer needed to do that.
In 2015, Sam Simon passed away from cancer and donated all of his fortune. It is unclear whether Tilly still receives her licensing revenue today. However, since the Simpsons are still running and continue to sell merchandise, one can assume she does. Years later, she still spoke positively about her ex-husband.
Jennifer Tilly last appeared in the Chucky series, which was canceled after 3 seasons. The horror-comedy series built on the canon of the well-known films and even had the original creator on board. MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes can only recommend the series: The Chucky series has everything to become perfect trash – Yet it is surprisingly good
