Jennifer Tilly has become quite a regular at the poker table over the last two decades, and seems to have inspired a fellow actor. After doing considerable research into the game before appearing in the recent poker movie Dead Money, actor Emile Hirsch unveiled a large painting of Tilly at the poker table on Twitter on Friday.
In a photo with the work, the painting appears almost as tall as Hirsch, who checks in at 5 feet, 7 inches tall. Tilly seemed flattered by the effort.
“This is very cool!” she said on Twitter. “I didn’t know you were a painter also!”
In preparing for Dead Money, Hirsch spent time checking out Las Vegas cash games and speaking with high-stakes live stream regulars like Alan Keating and Nikhil ‘Airball’ Arcott. He even made an appearance on the Hustler Casino Live cash game stream.
“It was an incredible experience diving into the world of poker and gambling,” the actor said. “I got so obsessed with the game that I regularly found myself googling ‘gambling addiction.’ I’ve partaken in many vices in my day – and that one has easily the strongest pull!”
Tilly, who recently won a massive pot on High Stakes Poker after a dream set up, grew up playing poker. Her father was a gambler and taught her the game. She jumped into the action more during the poker boom of the 2000s when she began dating poker pro Phil Laak and after she won the 2005 WSOP Ladies Championship.
Tilly wasn’t the only player Hirsch brought to life on canvas. He showed off another work inspired by high-stakes pro Tom Dwan over the weekend and asked Twitter followers what he should paint next.
Hirsch, 39, is best known for his films Into The Wild, Speed Racer, The Girl Next Door, Milk, and Alpha Dog.
What are some things that could be cool I could try and paint next? Or interesting people
— Emile Hirsch (@EmileHirsch) October 27, 2024
*Photos from Emile Hirsch on X (@EmileHirsch)