Biography
Toni Collette has built a distinguished career as both an actress and vocalist, earning widespread critical respect for her nuanced, character-focused work across films including Muriel's Wedding, The Sixth Sense, and Little Miss Sunshine. Born in Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia, in 1972, she developed an early passion for performance and, following secondary school, trained at the Australian Theatre for Young People as well as the National Institute of Dramatic Art. Her professional path began in the early 1990s, with a breakthrough arriving via director P.J. Hogan’s 1994 feature Muriel’s Wedding, which brought her a Golden Globe nomination and the Australian Film Institute award for Best Actress in a Lead Role. She has maintained a steady output of screen roles since, including appearances in 1996’s Emma, 1999’s The Sixth Sense, 2002’s About a Boy, 2005’s In Her Shoes, and 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine, the latter earning her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy. Long active as a singer as well, Collette performed on Broadway in the musical The Wild Party and portrayed a cabaret artist in the 2004 film Connie and Carla. That same year she issued her debut album Beautiful Awkward Pictures and toured in support with her band Toni Collette & the Finish, whose lineup includes her husband, drummer Dave Galafassi.
Albums