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Born Jennifer E. Chan in Harbor City, CA. The daughter of Harry Chan, a Chinese stockbroker, and Patrica Tilly, a schoolteacher, Jennifer's parents got divorced when she was 6. Her mother remarried and took Jennifer, her 3 siblings, and her 3 stepsiblings to British Columbia, Canada. Having to relocate constantly with her family, Jennifer had to adjust to each new school, and was a pretty quiet student. At 17, she started out yet again at a new school, this time at St. Stephen's College in Missouri, to study theater. In order to help pay for her tuition, she contributed articles to magazines and earned money by winning 'honorable mentions' in writing competitions. She then headed to college in Los Angeles rather than New York, unlike her sister Meg who starred in BODY SNATCHERS. She made the television rounds, starting with a role as an extra on "Days of Our Lives", then a recurring role as a Mafia moll who snares a straight-laced cop on "Hill Street Blues" in 1984. Also that year she was cast as Shannon Winters on the short-lived sitcom, "Shaping Up", and followed it up with guest appearances on "Remington Steele", "Cheers", and another recurring role on "It's Gary Shandling's Show". Jennifer was also busy appearing in small parts, in films such as NO SMALL AFFAIR (1984 - her first film role when she was 26), MOVING VIOLATIONS (1985), HE'S MY GIRL (1987), and RENTED LIPS (1988), one year after the other. In 1988, Jennifer appeared in JOHNNY BE GOOD (1988) and HIGH SPIRITS (1988). After roles in LET IT RIDE (1989) and FAR FROM HOME (1989), Jennifer was finally recognized for her role as auditioning singer Blanche "Monica" Moran in 1989's THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS (1989). Then more parts came her way, such as in THE DOORS (1991), SCORCHERS (1991) and MADE IN AMERICA (1993), but she finally got her big break when she was cast as Olive Neal, the wife of a mobster, in Woody Allen's BULLETS OVER BROADWAY (1994), in 1994. She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, in her convincing portrayal of an untalented, aspiring actress. She has since starred in many hit films such as LIAR LIAR (1997) with Jim Carrey, STUART LITTLE (1999) with Michael J. Fox, as a stripper in DANCING AT THE BLUE IGUANA (2000), and as one of the voices in the hit blockbuster MONSTERS, INC. (2001). Subsequent film credits include JERICHO MANSIONS, HOLLYWOO NORTH, THE HAUNTED MANSION and NOWHERE TO GO BUT UP (all 2003), RETURN TO BABYLON, SECOND BEST, PERFECT OPPOSITES, EL PADRINO, SAINT RALPH and LOVE ON THE SIDE (all 2004), BAILEY'S BILLION$, THE CIVILIZATION OF MAXWELL BRIGHT and TIDELAND (all 2005), INTERVENTION (2007), THE CARETAKER and INCONCEIVABLE (both 2008), and RENAISSANCE GIRL (scheduled for release in 2009). An active voice performer, Tilly was featured as the voice of Bonnie Swanson on TV's "The Family Guy" (1999//2007). She has also appeared in theater productions, including One Shoe Off, which earned her a Theater World Award in 1993. Tilly was married to TV writer Sam Simon from 1984 to 1991. Her sister is actress Meg Tilly.  Nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role 1994: BULLETS OVER BROADWAY 1 nomination