Toni Collette (born
Collett; 1 November 1972) is an Australian actress and producer. Known for her work in television and
independent films, she has received
various accolades, including a
Golden Globe Award, a
Primetime Emmy Award, and five
AACTA Awards, in addition to nominations for an
Academy Award, a
Tony Award, and two
BAFTA Awards.
Collette made her film debut in the 1992 film
Spotswood. Her breakthrough role came in the comedy drama
Muriel's Wedding (1994), which earned her a
Golden Globe Award nomination and won her the
AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Collette received further acclaim for her role in the thriller
The Sixth Sense (1999) for which she received a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She received
BAFTA Award nominations for her performances in the romantic comedy
About a Boy (2002) and the comedy drama
Little Miss Sunshine (2006). Collette's other films include
Emma (1996),
Velvet Goldmine (1998),
The Hours (2002),
Japanese Story (2003),
In Her Shoes (2005),
The Way, Way Back (2013),
Krampus (2015),
Hereditary (2018),
Knives Out (2019),
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), and
Nightmare Alley (2021).
In television, she starred in the
Showtime comedy-drama series
United States of Tara (2008–2011) earning the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. Other Emmy-nominated roles include the
Netflix miniseries
Unbelievable (2019), and the
HBO limited series
The Staircase (2022). She made her
Broadway debut in
The Wild Party (2000), earning a
Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical nomination.
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 (2006). The band toured Australia, but have not performed nor released any new material after 2007. Collette and Jen Turner co-founded the film production company Vocab Films in 2017.
