Toni Collette
Encyclopedia
Antonia "Toni" Collette (born 1 November 1972) is an Australian actress and musician, known for her acting work on stage, television and film as well as a secondary career as the lead singer of the band Toni Collette & the Finish
.
Collette's acting career began in the early 1990s with comedic roles in films such as Spotswood
(1992) and Muriel's Wedding
(1994), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress
. Following her performances in Emma
(1996) and The Boys (1998), Collette achieved international recognition as a result of her Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Lynn Sear in The Sixth Sense
(1999). She has appeared in thrillers such as Shaft
(2000) and Changing Lanes
(2002) and independent comedy films like About a Boy
(2002), In Her Shoes (2005) and Little Miss Sunshine
(2006).
In 2009, she began playing the lead role in the television series United States of Tara, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award
and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2010.
, a suburb in Western Sydney
, the daughter of Judy, a customer-service representative, and Bob Collette, a truck driver. She has two younger brothers, Ben and Christopher. From an early age, Collette showed a talent for acting. She faked appendicitis
when she was eleven years old and was so convincing that doctors removed her appendix
, although tests showed nothing wrong with it. She attended Blacktown Girls High School until the age of 16, and then later attended both the Australian Theatre for Young People
and NIDA
. Her first acting role was onstage in the musical Godspell
in Sydney in her early teens.
drama series A Country Practice
. Collette has won five Australian Film Institute
awards, including the Australian Best Actress in a Lead Role for Muriel's Wedding
in 1994, a role for which she gained 18 kg (40 lb) in seven weeks. In 1996, she was part of the ensemble cast of the comedy, Così
.
She has also received broad acclaim on Broadway, starring as Queenie in Michael John LaChiusa's
musical work, The Wild Party
. For this role, Collette was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical
.
Collette had to turn down the title role in Bridget Jones's Diary
because she was committed to perform on Broadway at the time. In 1999, She received an Academy Award
nomination for her role as the mother of a troubled boy in the U.S. film The Sixth Sense
, which also starred Bruce Willis
and Haley Joel Osment
.
Collette's only film in 2005 was In Her Shoes, a comedy-drama about the relationship between two uncommon sisters and their estranged grandmother, co-starring Cameron Diaz
and Shirley MacLaine
. Based on the 2002 novel of the same name
by Jennifer Weiner
, the production received generally positive reviews from critics, and became a moderate independent success, earning a total of US$82.2 million worldwide. Collette was subsequently nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Actress
for her performance of a successful-but-lonely lawyer with low self-esteem, which Mick LaSalle
of the San Francisco Chronicle
noted the focus of the film: "As usual, Collette's face is a fine-tuned transmitter of her emotions, moment by moment, and she becomes the locus of audience feeling."
In 2006, Collette starred in Little Miss Sunshine
, a comedy-drama-road movie
about a family's trip to a children's beauty pageant. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival
in January 2006, and its distribution rights were bought by Fox Searchlight Pictures
for one of the biggest deals made in the history of the festival. Released in July 2006, the film received major critical acclaim, resulting into several accolades such as four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture
, whilst Collette herself earned her second BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal of the family's worn-out matriarch. A box office success, Little Miss Sunshine went on to gross US$100.5 million worldwide and became one of the most successful independent films of the mid-2000s.
Also in 2006, Collette starred in supporting roles in the thriller films Like Minds
, The Night Listener
and The Dead Girl
. Although the latter was released to positive response during its limited North American run, none of these films fared generally well at the box office, with Robin Williams
-featuring The Night Listener emerging as the biggest-selling production at a global gross of US$10.5 million. In her first television engagement in five years, the HBO-BBC
joint mini series Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006), Collette played an Australian government employee who tries to cope with the events following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
and the resulting tsunami
in Thailand. Broadcast to controversial critics, her performance of an aid worker garnered Collette her first Primetime Emmy nomination and third Golden Globe nomination.
In 2008, Collette accepted the leading role in the Showtime comedy drama series, United States of Tara. Created by Steven Spielberg
and Juno
screenwriter Diablo Cody
, the show revolves around a wife and mother of two with dissociative identity disorder
, coping with her seven alternate personalities. Originally planned for a twelve episode season, the series was picked up for another episode season to be broadcast in 2010. Collette won both the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series
and the Best Actress in a TV Comedy for her performance on the show. She starred in the 2011 remake of Fright Night
.
, a band for which her husband drums. Collette recently appeared on the Australian television show Cool Aid
and performed the song "Look Up" off of her album. Collette and the Finish were a headlining act at the Sydney show of Live Earth
. She sang T-Rex's "Children Of The Revolution" with The Finish.
She is a supporter of animal rights
and PETA
. She urged former Prime Minister John Howard
to end the Australian sheep farming practice of mulesing
, which is considered by many animal rights activists to be cruel. She later revised her position after doing her own research of the Australian wool industry.
Toni Collette & the Finish
Toni Collette & The Finish are a band fronted by Australian actress, singer and songwriter Toni Collette. Other band members include Collette's husband Dave Galafassi, Glenn Richards, David Lane and Pete Farley.- Personnel :...
.
Collette's acting career began in the early 1990s with comedic roles in films such as Spotswood
Spotswood (film)
Spotswood is an Australian comedy film directed by Mark Joffe, made in 1990-1991, released in 1992 in some locations. It is also known as The Efficiency Expert in America....
(1992) and Muriel's Wedding
Muriel's Wedding
Muriel's Wedding is a 1994 Australian-French romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by P. J. Hogan. The film, which stars actresses Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Sophie Lee, and Bill Hunter, focuses on the socially awkward Muriel whose ambition is to have a glamorous wedding and improve...
(1994), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1950...
. Following her performances in Emma
Emma (1996 film)
Emma is a 1996 period film based on the novel of the same name by Jane Austen. Directed by Douglas McGrath, it stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northam, Toni Collette, and Ewan McGregor.- Synopsis :...
(1996) and The Boys (1998), Collette achieved international recognition as a result of her Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Lynn Sear in The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear , a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist who tries to help him...
(1999). She has appeared in thrillers such as Shaft
Shaft (2000 film)
Shaft is a 2000 American action-crime film directed by John Singleton, and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Pat Hingle, Toni Collette, Busta Rhymes, Vanessa L. Williams, and Mekhi Phifer. This film is not a remake of the 1971 film of the same name, but rather a sequel,...
(2000) and Changing Lanes
Changing Lanes
Changing Lanes is a 2002 drama-thriller film directed by Roger Michell and starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson. It was released on April 12, 2002 in North America by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:...
(2002) and independent comedy films like About a Boy
About a Boy (film)
About a Boy is a 2002 comedy-drama film directed by brothers Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, based on the novel of the same name by Nick Hornby. The film stars Golden Globe winner Hugh Grant as Will, Nicholas Hoult as Marcus, Academy Award nominee Toni Collette as Fiona, and Academy Award winner Rachel...
(2002), In Her Shoes (2005) and Little Miss Sunshine
Little Miss Sunshine
Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 American comedy-drama film. The road movie's plot follows a family's trip to a children's beauty pageant.Little Miss Sunshine was the directorial film debut of the husband-wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The screenplay was written by first-time writer...
(2006).
In 2009, she began playing the lead role in the television series United States of Tara, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2010.
Early life
Collette was born in BlacktownBlacktown, New South Wales
Blacktown is a suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Blacktown is located 34 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of City of Blacktown.Blacktown is the largest...
, a suburb in Western Sydney
Western Sydney
Western Sydney is a major region of Sydney, Australia. It has a number of different definitions but one consistently used is the region composed of the 11 councils which until recently were all members of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils:* Auburn Council* Bankstown City Council*...
, the daughter of Judy, a customer-service representative, and Bob Collette, a truck driver. She has two younger brothers, Ben and Christopher. From an early age, Collette showed a talent for acting. She faked appendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
when she was eleven years old and was so convincing that doctors removed her appendix
Vermiform appendix
The appendix is a blind-ended tube connected to the cecum , from which it develops embryologically. The cecum is a pouchlike structure of the colon...
, although tests showed nothing wrong with it. She attended Blacktown Girls High School until the age of 16, and then later attended both the Australian Theatre for Young People
Australian Theatre for Young People
The Australian Theatre for Young People is Australia's flagship youth theatre company and the largest youth theatre in the world. Over 6000 young people aged between three and 26 participate in the company's work across Australia....
and NIDA
National Institute of Dramatic Art
The National Institute of Dramatic Art is an Australian national training institute for students of theatre, film, and television, based in the Sydney suburb of Kensington. It is supported by the federal Office for the Arts, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. NIDA is located adjacent...
. Her first acting role was onstage in the musical Godspell
Godspell
Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway...
in Sydney in her early teens.
1990s
Collette made her television debut in 1990, in a guest appearance on the Seven NetworkSeven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
drama series A Country Practice
A Country Practice
A Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,...
. Collette has won five Australian Film Institute
Australian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry...
awards, including the Australian Best Actress in a Lead Role for Muriel's Wedding
Muriel's Wedding
Muriel's Wedding is a 1994 Australian-French romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by P. J. Hogan. The film, which stars actresses Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Sophie Lee, and Bill Hunter, focuses on the socially awkward Muriel whose ambition is to have a glamorous wedding and improve...
in 1994, a role for which she gained 18 kg (40 lb) in seven weeks. In 1996, she was part of the ensemble cast of the comedy, Così
Così
Così is a play by Australian playwright Louis Nowra which was first performed in 1992. Set in a Melbourne mental hospital in 1971, Così is semi-autobiographical.- Plot summary:Lewis is always desperate for work as he states "I need the money"...
.
She has also received broad acclaim on Broadway, starring as Queenie in Michael John LaChiusa's
Michael John LaChiusa
Michael John LaChiusa is an American musical theatre and opera composer, lyricist, and librettist. He is best known for complex, musically challenging shows such as Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party, and See What I Wanna See...
musical work, The Wild Party
The Wild Party (LaChiusa musical)
The Wild Party is a musical with a book by Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe and music and lyrics by LaChiusa. It is based on the 1928 Joseph Moncure March narrative poem of the same name...
. For this role, Collette was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical is the Tony Awards award given to the actress who was voted as the best leading actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival...
.
Collette had to turn down the title role in Bridget Jones's Diary
Bridget Jones's Diary (film)
Bridget Jones's Diary is a 2001 British romantic comedy film based on Helen Fielding's novel of the same name. The adaptation stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget, Hugh Grant as the caddish Daniel Cleaver, and Colin Firth as Bridget's "true love", Mark Darcy...
because she was committed to perform on Broadway at the time. In 1999, She received an Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nomination for her role as the mother of a troubled boy in the U.S. film The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear , a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist who tries to help him...
, which also starred Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
and Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment is an American actor. After a series of roles in television and film during the 1990s, including a small part in Forrest Gump playing Tom Hanks' title character’s son, Osment rose to fame with his performance as Cole Sear in M...
.
2000s
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She became famous during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary. Other high-profile credits include the two Charlie's Angels films, voicing the character Princess Fiona...
and Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, singer, dancer, activist and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
. Based on the 2002 novel of the same name
In Her Shoes (novel)
In Her Shoes is a work of Jewish American literature by Jennifer Weiner. It tells the story of two sisters and their estranged grandmother. The novel was a New York Times bestseller.-Plot summary:...
by Jennifer Weiner
Jennifer Weiner
Jennifer Weiner is a Jewish American writer, television producer, and former journalist. She is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Background and career:...
, the production received generally positive reviews from critics, and became a moderate independent success, earning a total of US$82.2 million worldwide. Collette was subsequently nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Actress
Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
The Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama is one of the annual awards given by the International Press Academy.- Winners and nominees :The following listing is based on the web postings of the International Press Academy.- 1990s :...
for her performance of a successful-but-lonely lawyer with low self-esteem, which Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle is an American Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] [[film reviewer] and the author of two books on pre-[[Motion Picture Production Code|Hays Code]] Hollywood...
of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
noted the focus of the film: "As usual, Collette's face is a fine-tuned transmitter of her emotions, moment by moment, and she becomes the locus of audience feeling."
In 2006, Collette starred in Little Miss Sunshine
Little Miss Sunshine
Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 American comedy-drama film. The road movie's plot follows a family's trip to a children's beauty pageant.Little Miss Sunshine was the directorial film debut of the husband-wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The screenplay was written by first-time writer...
, a comedy-drama-road movie
Road movie
A road movie is a film genre in which the main character or characters leave home to travel from place to place. They usually leave home to escape their current lives.-History:...
about a family's trip to a children's beauty pageant. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in January 2006, and its distribution rights were bought by Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures, established in 1998, is a film division of Fox Filmed Entertainment alongside the larger Fox studio 20th Century Fox...
for one of the biggest deals made in the history of the festival. Released in July 2006, the film received major critical acclaim, resulting into several accolades such as four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
, whilst Collette herself earned her second BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal of the family's worn-out matriarch. A box office success, Little Miss Sunshine went on to gross US$100.5 million worldwide and became one of the most successful independent films of the mid-2000s.
Also in 2006, Collette starred in supporting roles in the thriller films Like Minds
Like Minds
Like Minds is a feature film, written and directed by Gregory J. Read. The film was produced by the South Australian Film Corporation. It debuted in Australia on 9 November 2006. The psychological thriller is the first Australian/UK co-production to be set in the UK in over a decade. Like Minds...
, The Night Listener
The Night Listener (film)
The Night Listener is a 2006 psychological horror film directed by Patrick Stettner. The screenplay by Armistead Maupin, Terry Anderson, and Stettner is based on Maupin's 2000 bestselling novel of the same name, which was inspired by actual events in the author's life.-Plot:Gabriel Noone , a...
and The Dead Girl
The Dead Girl
The Dead Girl is a 2006 American film written and directed by Karen Moncrieff, starring Brittany Murphy, Toni Collette, Rose Byrne and Marcia Gay Harden. The film was nominated for several 2007 Independent Spirit Awards awards including Best Feature and Best Director. It is the story of a young...
. Although the latter was released to positive response during its limited North American run, none of these films fared generally well at the box office, with Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
-featuring The Night Listener emerging as the biggest-selling production at a global gross of US$10.5 million. In her first television engagement in five years, the HBO-BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
joint mini series Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006), Collette played an Australian government employee who tries to cope with the events following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
and the resulting tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
in Thailand. Broadcast to controversial critics, her performance of an aid worker garnered Collette her first Primetime Emmy nomination and third Golden Globe nomination.
In 2008, Collette accepted the leading role in the Showtime comedy drama series, United States of Tara. Created by Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
and Juno
Juno (film)
Juno is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Ellen Page stars as the title character, an independent-minded teenager confronting an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, J. K....
screenwriter Diablo Cody
Diablo Cody
Brook Busey , better known by the pen name Diablo Cody, is an American screenwriter, writer, blogger, journalist, and author. She was first known for her candid chronicling of her year as a stripper in her Pussy Ranch blog and her 2006 memoir, Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper...
, the show revolves around a wife and mother of two with dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis and describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities , each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment....
, coping with her seven alternate personalities. Originally planned for a twelve episode season, the series was picked up for another episode season to be broadcast in 2010. Collette won both the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series
This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. The award was first presented in 1953, but was not awarded again until 1959...
and the Best Actress in a TV Comedy for her performance on the show. She starred in the 2011 remake of Fright Night
Fright Night (2011 film)
Fright Night is a 2011 3D comedy horror film directed by Craig Gillespie. It is a remake of the 1985 Tom Holland film of the same name. The film had its premiere at The O2 in London on August 14, 2011, and was widely released on August 19 in Real D 3D & IMAX 3D.-Plot:The film opens with a vampire ...
.
Music career
In October 2006, she began touring Australia to promote her first vocal album Beautiful Awkward Pictures, released on Hoola Hoop Records under the name Toni Collette & the FinishToni Collette & the Finish
Toni Collette & The Finish are a band fronted by Australian actress, singer and songwriter Toni Collette. Other band members include Collette's husband Dave Galafassi, Glenn Richards, David Lane and Pete Farley.- Personnel :...
, a band for which her husband drums. Collette recently appeared on the Australian television show Cool Aid
Cool Aid
Cool Aid was a special that aired in Australia on Network 10. The show was designed for families to take a 'carbon test' to see how much they are contributing to the greenhouse effect....
and performed the song "Look Up" off of her album. Collette and the Finish were a headlining act at the Sydney show of Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
. She sang T-Rex's "Children Of The Revolution" with The Finish.
Personal life
Collette married Dave Galafassi on 11 January 2003. The couple have a daughter, Sage Florence, born on 9 January 2008, and a son, Arlo Robert, born on 22 April 2011.She is a supporter of animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
and PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
. She urged former Prime Minister John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
to end the Australian sheep farming practice of mulesing
Mulesing
Mulesing is a skilled surgical task that involves the removal of strips of wool-bearing skin from around the breech of a sheep to prevent flystrike in regions where it is common....
, which is considered by many animal rights activists to be cruel. She later revised her position after doing her own research of the Australian wool industry.
Filmography
| Title | Year(s) | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Country Practice A Country Practice A Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,... |
1990 | Tracy | (TV series) |
| Spotswood Spotswood (film) Spotswood is an Australian comedy film directed by Mark Joffe, made in 1990-1991, released in 1992 in some locations. It is also known as The Efficiency Expert in America.... |
1992 | Wendy Robinson | Nominated–Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role is an award in the annual Australian Film Institute Awards. It has been awarded annually since 1976.-Previous winners:*1976: Melissa Jaffer – Caddie... |
| The Thief and the Cobbler The Thief and the Cobbler The Thief and the Cobbler is an animated feature film, famous for its animation and its long, troubled history. The film was conceived by Canadian animator Richard Williams, who worked 28 years on the project. Beginning production in 1964, Williams intended The Thief and the Cobbler to be his... |
1993 | Mad Holy Old Witch | (voice) |
| This Marching Girl Thing | 1994 | Cindy | (short film) |
| Muriel's Wedding Muriel's Wedding Muriel's Wedding is a 1994 Australian-French romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by P. J. Hogan. The film, which stars actresses Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Sophie Lee, and Bill Hunter, focuses on the socially awkward Muriel whose ambition is to have a glamorous wedding and improve... |
1994 | Muriel Heslop | |
| Cosi Cosi (film) Cosi is a 1996 Australian comedy-drama-musical film directed by Mark Joffe. Louis Nowra wrote both the screenplay and the play it is based on.-Plot summary:... |
1996 | Julie | |
| The Pallbearer The Pallbearer The Pallbearer is a 1996 American romantic comedy film starring David Schwimmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Toni Collette, Michael Vartan, Michael Rapaport, and Barbara Hershey. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.... |
1996 | Cynthia | |
| Emma Emma (1996 film) Emma is a 1996 period film based on the novel of the same name by Jane Austen. Directed by Douglas McGrath, it stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northam, Toni Collette, and Ewan McGregor.- Synopsis :... |
1996 | Harriet | |
| Lilian's Story | 1996 | Young Lilian Singer | Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role is an award in the annual Australian Film Institute Awards. It has been awarded annually since 1976.-Previous winners:*1976: Melissa Jaffer – Caddie... |
| Clockwatchers Clockwatchers Clockwatchers is an American comedy-drama film released in 1997. Directed by Jill Sprecher, it stars Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow, Toni Collette and Alanna Ubach as temporary office staffers in an office complex.... |
1997 | Iris Chapman | |
| The James Gang | 1997 | Julia Armstrong | |
| Diana & Me | 1997 | Diana Spencer | |
| The Boys | 1998 | Michelle | |
| Velvet Goldmine Velvet Goldmine Velvet Goldmine is a 1998 British/American drama film directed and co-written by Todd Haynes. The film tells the story of a pop star based mainly on David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' character and is set in Britain during the days of glam rock in the early 1970s.Sandy Powell received another Academy... |
1998 | Mandy Slade | |
| 8½ Women 8½ Women 8½ Women is a 1999 comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Greenaway, and starring John Standing, Matthew Delamere, and Vivian Wu. The international co-production was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:After the death of his wife , wealthy businessman Philip Emmenthal 8½... |
1999 | Griselda / Sister Concordia | |
| The Sixth Sense The Sixth Sense The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear , a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist who tries to help him... |
1999 | Lynn Sear | |
| Shaft Shaft (2000 film) Shaft is a 2000 American action-crime film directed by John Singleton, and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Pat Hingle, Toni Collette, Busta Rhymes, Vanessa L. Williams, and Mekhi Phifer. This film is not a remake of the 1971 film of the same name, but rather a sequel,... |
2000 | Diane Palmieri | Nominated–Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress – Action |
| Hotel Splendide Hotel Splendide (film) Hotel Splendide is a 2000 British independent dark comedy film, written and directed by Terence Gross and starring Toni Collette and Daniel Craig. The film appeared in a number of British and European film festivals but was not released in the US, although it did appear on cable networks on... |
2000 | Kath | |
| The Magic Pudding The Magic Pudding The Magic Pudding: Being The Adventures of Bunyip Bluegum and his friends Bill Barnacle and Sam Sawnoff is an Australian children's book written and illustrated by Norman Lindsay. It is a comic fantasy, and a classic of Australian children's literature.... |
2000 | Meg Bluegum | (voice) |
| Dinner with Friends Dinner with Friends Dinner with Friends is a 2000 play written by Donald Margulies. It premiered at the 1998 Humana Festival of New American Plays and opened Off-Broadway in New York on November 4, 1999.-Plot summary:... |
2001 | Beth | (TV film) |
| Changing Lanes Changing Lanes Changing Lanes is a 2002 drama-thriller film directed by Roger Michell and starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson. It was released on April 12, 2002 in North America by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:... |
2002 | Michelle | |
| About a Boy About a Boy (film) About a Boy is a 2002 comedy-drama film directed by brothers Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, based on the novel of the same name by Nick Hornby. The film stars Golden Globe winner Hugh Grant as Will, Nicholas Hoult as Marcus, Academy Award nominee Toni Collette as Fiona, and Academy Award winner Rachel... |
2002 | Fiona | |
| Dirty Deeds Dirty Deeds (2002 film) Dirty Deeds is a 2002 film shot in Australia. It was directed by noted fringe director David Caesar and stars Bryan Brown, Toni Collette, Sam Neill, Sam Worthington and John Goodman and produced by Nine Films and Television, the film and television production arm of the Nine Network, owned by PBL... |
2002 | Sharon | Nominated–Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Actor – Female |
| The Hours The Hours (film) The Hours is a 2002 drama film directed by Stephen Daldry, and starring Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Ed Harris. The screenplay by David Hare is based on the 1999 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title by Michael Cunningham.... |
2002 | Kitty | |
| Japanese Story Japanese Story Japanese Story is a 2003 Australian romantic drama film directed by Sue Brooks. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:... |
2003 | Sandy Edwards | |
| The Last Shot The Last Shot The Last Shot is a 2004 comedy film starring Matthew Broderick, Alec Baldwin, Toni Collette, Tim Blake Nelson, an uncredited Joan Cusack, Tony Shalhoub, Buck Henry, Ray Liotta, Calista Flockhart and Ian Gomez... |
2004 | Emily French | |
| Connie and Carla Connie and Carla Connie and Carla is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Michael Lembeck and starring Nia Vardalos, Toni Collette, and David Duchovny.The film was shot in Vancouver and featured a number of local drag queens.-Plot:... |
2004 | Carla | |
| In Her Shoes | 2005 | Rose Feller | |
| Little Miss Sunshine Little Miss Sunshine Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 American comedy-drama film. The road movie's plot follows a family's trip to a children's beauty pageant.Little Miss Sunshine was the directorial film debut of the husband-wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The screenplay was written by first-time writer... |
2006 | Sheryl Hoover | |
| The Night Listener The Night Listener (film) The Night Listener is a 2006 psychological horror film directed by Patrick Stettner. The screenplay by Armistead Maupin, Terry Anderson, and Stettner is based on Maupin's 2000 bestselling novel of the same name, which was inspired by actual events in the author's life.-Plot:Gabriel Noone , a... |
2006 | Donna D. Logand | |
| Like Minds Like Minds Like Minds is a feature film, written and directed by Gregory J. Read. The film was produced by the South Australian Film Corporation. It debuted in Australia on 9 November 2006. The psychological thriller is the first Australian/UK co-production to be set in the UK in over a decade. Like Minds... |
2006 | Sally | (also known as Murderous Intent) |
| The Dead Girl The Dead Girl The Dead Girl is a 2006 American film written and directed by Karen Moncrieff, starring Brittany Murphy, Toni Collette, Rose Byrne and Marcia Gay Harden. The film was nominated for several 2007 Independent Spirit Awards awards including Best Feature and Best Director. It is the story of a young... |
2006 | Arden | |
| Tsunami: The Aftermath | 2006 | Kathy Graham | |
| Evening Evening (film) Evening is a 2007 German-American drama film directed by Lajos Koltai. The screenplay by Susan Minot and Michael Cunningham is based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Susan Minot.-Plot:... |
2007 | Nina Mars | |
| Towelhead Towelhead (film) Towelhead is a 2007 black comedy film written and directed by Alan Ball and based on Alicia Erian's novel of the same name. The film made its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on September 8, 2007 under the name Nothing is Private... |
2007 | Melina Hines | |
| The Black Balloon The Black Balloon (film) The Black Balloon is a 2008 Australian|British AFI award-winning dramedy feature film which stars Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Erik Thomson, Gemma Ward as well as a cast of newcomers. It is directed by first time feature film director, Elissa Down.The film was released in Australian... |
2008 | Maggie Mollison | |
| Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger is a 2008 Australian independent teen film written and directed by Cathy Randall. It stars Danielle Catanzariti, Keisha Castle-Hughes and Toni Collette. The film follows Jewish 13-year-old Esther , an outcast at her posh school, where she has no friends... |
2008 | Mary | |
| Mary and Max Mary and Max Mary and Max is a 2009 Australian clay-animated black comedy-drama film written and directed by Adam Elliot and produced by Melanie Coombs. The voice cast included Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette, Eric Bana, Bethany Whitmore, with narration by Barry Humphries. The film premiered on the... |
2009 | Mary Daisy Dinkle | (voice) |
| United States of Tara | 2009–11 | Tara Gregson | |
| Jesus Henry Christ Jesus Henry Christ (film) Jesus Henry Christ is a comedy based on Dennis Lee's Student Academy Award-winning short film of the same name.-Plot:At the age of ten, young genius Henry James Hermin , a boy who was conceived in a petri dish and raised by his feminist mother, decides his mother's love is not enough... |
2011 | Patricia Herman | |
| Fright Night Fright Night (2011 film) Fright Night is a 2011 3D comedy horror film directed by Craig Gillespie. It is a remake of the 1985 Tom Holland film of the same name. The film had its premiere at The O2 in London on August 14, 2011, and was widely released on August 19 in Real D 3D & IMAX 3D.-Plot:The film opens with a vampire ... |
2011 | Judy Brewster | |
| Foster Foster (film) Foster is an upcoming 2012 English comedy-drama film written and directed by Jonathan Newman, based on his 2005 short film. Part of it was shot at Legoland Windsor in April 2010... |
2012 | Zooey | |
| Mental | 2012 | Shaz | Post-production |