Toni Collette
Toni Collette is an Australian actress, singer, and songwriter. Known for her work in television, blockbusters and independent films, her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, with nominations for an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards and a Tony Award.
Collette made her film debut in the 1992 film Spotswood. Her breakthrough came playing a socially awkward romantic lead in Muriel's Wedding, which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination. She later was nominated for the Academy Award for the thriller The Sixth Sense, as well as two BAFTA Awards for the romantic comedy About a Boy and the comedy-drama Little Miss Sunshine. She has also acted in Emma, Velvet Goldmine, The Hours, Japanese Story, In Her Shoes, Mary and Max, The Way, Way Back, Hereditary, Knives Out, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, Nightmare Alley, Juror No. 2, and Mickey 17.
On television, she starred as a suburban mother with multiple personality disorder in the Showtime comedy-drama series United States of Tara, earning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She was later Emmy-nominated for playing a police detective in the Netflix miniseries Unbelievable and Kathleen Peterson in the Max miniseries The Staircase. Collette starred as Evelyn Wade, the founder and leader of a reform academy for troubled teens, in the Netflix limited series Wayward which was released September 25, 2025. On stage, she made her Broadway debut playing a vaudeville dancer in the musical The Wild Party, for which she earned a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical nomination. She returned to Broadway in the Will Eno play The Realistic Joneses.
Collette married Dave Galafassi, drummer of the band Gelbison, in January 2003. The couple have two children together. As the lead singer of Toni Collette & the Finish, she wrote all 11 tracks of their sole album, Beautiful Awkward Pictures. The band toured Australia but have not performed nor released any new material since 2007. Collette and Jen Turner co-founded the film production company Vocab Films in 2017.
Early life and education
Collette is the eldest of three children having two younger brothers. She was raised in the Sydney suburb of Glebe until the age of six, then in Blacktown, New South Wales. Her father, Bob Collett, was a truck driver, and her mother Judy was a customer-service representative. Collette later learned on an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? that Bob was possibly born as a result of his mother Norma's having an extramarital affair with a US Navy chief petty officer stationed in Australia during and after World War II. Norma and her husband were going through a divorce, and Bob's DNA test determined that Stanley was not his biological father. Despite a public appeal in August 2015, her biological grandfather's name is not known.Collette has described her family as " the most communicative" but has said that despite her parents' lack of money, they were supportive and made their children feel cared for. She has fond memories of growing up in Blacktown, where she and her mother watched Saturday afternoon movie matinees presented by Bill Collins. She described her younger self as having "crazy" amounts of confidence. When she was 11, she believed she had appendicitis and convinced her doctors: She was taken to an emergency department and had the appendix removed. As a student at Blacktown Girls High School, her favourite activities included netball, tap dancing and swimming, and she took part in local singing competitions. Her ambition was to perform in musicals, as she loved to sing and dance.
Collette's first acting role was a high school performance of Godspell at the age of 14; she auditioned by singing Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love for You". She decided to become an actor the following year, and was influenced by Geoffrey Rush's stage performance in The Diary of a Madman. In 1989, with her parents' approval, she transferred to the Australian Theatre for Young People, later explaining, "I was 16. And it's not like I wasn't good at school, or I didn't enjoy it, I did. I just loved acting more. I don't regret that decision, but I can't believe I made it." The actor returned the extra "e" at the end of her surname which Stanley Collett had removed as it sounded better for a stage name. She started at National Institute of Dramatic Art in early 1991, but left after 18 months to appear as Sonya in Uncle Vanya, directed by Neil Armfield, alongside Rush in the title role.
Career
1990–1999: Early work and breakthrough
In late 1988 Collette appeared in Burger Brain - The Fast Food Musical with The Sydney Morning Herald reviewer Bob Evans noting she "sings like a dream". She made her television debut in 1988 on a comedy, variety show Blah Blah Blah as a singer. Her first television acting role was in 1990, a guest appearance as Tracy, on the Seven Network drama series A Country Practice Season 10, Episode 31, "The Sting: Part 1". Her first professional theatre role was as Debbie in Operation Holy Mountain in May of that year at Q Theatre, Penrith. Frank Barnes of Journal of the N.S.W Public School Teachers Federation noticed, "Collette simply amazing in her professional debut as the girl with cerebral palsy." She joined the Sydney Theatre Company and, from December 1990 to February 1991, appeared in A Little Night Music at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. She performed Cordelia in King Lear and was also in stage productions at the Belvoir Street Theatre, directed by Rush.In 1992, she made her feature film debut in the ensemble comedy drama Spotswood, which starred Anthony Hopkins and included a then-newcomer Russell Crowe. She played Wendy, a factory worker who harbours a secret attraction towards fellow worker Carey. Filmnews Peter Galvin observed, "it's here that the film finds real warmth, vigour, and pain, all contained in expressive face; she's terrific and so is Mendelsohn simply because we believe them." Andrew Urban of Urban Cinephile felt that, " has a lovely role and does it with minimalist excellence." For the performance, she earned her first AACTA Award nomination, for Best Supporting Actress. Between auditions for roles, she worked part-time delivering pizzas and selling jeans.
In 1992, her agent alerted her to a proposed film project with a good role; a year later Muriel's Wedding was financed and started casting in June 1993. Although the actor auditioned on the first day, she did not win the role until three months later. In preparation for portraying Muriel, the actor gained in 7 weeks. James Berardinelli of Reelviews called her "vibrant and energetic", while Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle opined that Collette played the lead role with "disarming earnestness". She received her first Golden Globe Award nomination, for Best Actress and won the AACTA Award for Best Actress.
In 1996, she had parts in three films. In the comedy drama Così, which reunited her with Muriel's Wedding castmate Rachel Griffiths, she played an actor recovering from drug addiction. David Stratton of Variety magazine said Collette " a terrific performance". In the drama Lilian's Story she played an eccentric woman sent to a mental asylum in her youth. Stratton found her to be "poignant" and took note of her range and depth. She won her second AACTA Award, this time for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In the period comedy Emma, an adaptation of Jane Austen's novel of the same name, she played Harriet Smith, a close friend of the titular character. Originally dismissive of Austen's works, she found Emma to be "warm and witty and clever". Jane Ganahl of San Francisco Chronicle wrote, " played with heartbreaking empathy... desperately trying to meet Mr. Right – so awkwardly you fear she'll slip on a banana peel."
She starred alongside Lisa Kudrow, Parker Posey and Alanna Ubach in Clockwatchers which depicted the lives of four friends working in an office. Dustin Putman of TheFilmFile called it a "jewel of a film" and praised the performances of the cast, particularly Collette whom he referred to as "outstanding". For her supporting role as Michelle in The Boys she won her third AACTA Award. Although Velvet Goldmine, returned less than half its production budget at the box office, Metacritic reports a 65% score based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". It grew in stature after its release to become a cult film. Collette credited it with revitalising her passion for acting as it had freed her from distress she had been facing. Her next film, 8½ Women was not as well received: Metacritic gave it a "generally unfavorable" score of 36%.
1999–2004: ''The Sixth Sense'' and Broadway
When Collette received M. Night Shyamalan's script for The Sixth Sense, she feared it would be a "formulaic Hollywood action drama". However, she was moved by the story and agreed to audition, winning the role over other actors, including Marisa Tomei. She portrayed Lynn Sear, a mother struggling to raise her son Cole who communicates with ghosts. Gary Thompson of The Philadelphia Inquirer observed, "the scene in the car when divulges his secret is so riveting... and it's so well-acted by Osment and Collette." He added, "she'd become the greatest screen weeper of her generation." The Sixth Sense grossed US$670 million on a budget of US$40 million and became the second-highest-grossing film of 1999. It gathered six Academy Award nominations including Collette's for Best Supporting Actress. She reflected, "There was some definite feeling we all had that it was going to somehow be special. did really well and has been loved by a lot of people."In 2000 she made her Broadway debut with a leading role in The Wild Party, playing Queenie, a masochistic showgirl who hosts a lavish party with her husband. Originally written for Vanessa Williams, it went to Collette after the former was unavailable. Charles Isherwood felt under-whelmed by the musical and the actor's performance, " Queenie is flat and one-dimensional; she doesn't convey the warmth that invites emotional investment." Ben Brantley of The New York Times differed, "Ms. Collette... gives the evening's most fully realized performance," but criticised the lack of chemistry with Yancey Arias. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. Collette turned down the title role in Bridget Jones's Diary due to her Broadway commitments.
She followed with a supporting role in the action thriller Shaft. The film received "mixed or average reviews", and grossed US$107.2 million on a budget of US$46 million. Kam Williams of African American Literature Book Club noticed, "Collette lends the film some convincing and welcome dramatic weight as the frightened, conflicted Diane." However, John Patterson of The Guardian rated it as a "career low" for her. In 2001 she appeared in the HBO TV movie Dinner with Friends and played Beth, a middle-aged woman who struggles with her husband leaving her for another woman. Steven Oxman of Variety said that she was "well suited" to her role, while Bruce Fetts of Entertainment Weekly praised her "flawless" American accent. The show earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.
In 2002 she had a supporting role in The Hours, based on the novel of the same name, playing Kitty, a woman who plans to undergo surgery for her infertility. John Patterson felt she gave an "utterly convincing small-scale emotional meltdown born of suburban sadness and sexual self-repression." The film received positive reviews and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. In About a Boy she portrayed a woman with depression who attempts to commit suicide. Daniel Saney of Digital Spy said that she was "as impressive as ever" while Sheila Johnston of Screen Daily praised her "powerful presence". She was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and won the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress for both 2002 performances.
Collette played the lead role in Japanese Story as Sandy an Australian geologist who develops an intense relationship with a Japanese businessman. It was screened at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. The performance led to reviewers welcoming her return to lead roles: the first since Muriel's Wedding. John Patterson wrote that she gave a "shattering performance, masterfully controlled and detailed, and all the proof her fans ever needed of her special brilliance." Richard Porton of the Chicago Reader remarked, " pitch-perfect performance and the stunning evocation of the forbidding and beautiful outback make this film unexpectedly rewarding." Critics praised her emotional range, with some regarding the performance to be the best of her career. She won her fourth AACTA Award statuette for her portrayal of Sandy Edwards in Japanese Story. Her two releases of 2004, The Last Shot and Connie and Carla, were rated as having "mixed or average reviews" by Metacritic.