Toni Collette | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Collette in 2013 | |
| Born | Toni Collett (1972-11-01)1 November 1972 (age 53) |
| Other names | Toni Collette-Galafassi |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
Toni Collette (bornCollett; 1 November 1972) is an Australian actress, singer, and songwriter. Known forher work in television,blockbusters andindependent films,her accolades include aPrimetime Emmy Award and aGolden Globe Award, with nominations for anAcademy Award, twoBritish Academy Film Awards and aTony Award.
Collette made her film debut in the 1992 filmSpotswood. Her breakthrough came playing a socially awkward romantic lead inMuriel's Wedding (1994), which earned her aGolden Globe Award nomination. She later was nominated for theAcademy Award for the thrillerThe Sixth Sense (1999), as well as twoBAFTA Awards for the romantic comedyAbout a Boy (2002) and the comedy-dramaLittle Miss Sunshine (2006). She has also acted inEmma (1996),Velvet Goldmine (1998),The Hours (2002),Japanese Story (2003),In Her Shoes (2005),Mary and Max (2009),The Way, Way Back (2013),Hereditary (2018),Knives Out (2019),I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020),Nightmare Alley (2021),Juror No. 2 (2024), andMickey 17 (2025).
On television, she starred as a suburban mother withmultiple personality disorder in theShowtime comedy-drama seriesUnited States of Tara (2008–2011), earning thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She was later Emmy-nominated for playing a police detective in theNetflix miniseriesUnbelievable (2019)[1] andKathleen Peterson in theMax miniseriesThe Staircase (2022). Collette starred as Evelyn Wade, the founder and leader of a reform academy for troubled teens, in the Netflix limited seriesWayward (2025) which was released September 25th, 2025. On stage, she made herBroadway debut playing avaudevilledancer in the musicalThe Wild Party (2000), for which she earned aTony Award for Best Actress in a Musical nomination. She returned to Broadway in theWill Eno playThe Realistic Joneses (2014).
Collette married Dave Galafassi, drummer of the bandGelbison, in January 2003. The couple have two children together. As the lead singer ofToni 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 since 2007. Collette and Jen Turner co-founded the film production company Vocab Films in 2017.
Collette is the eldest of three children having two younger brothers.[2][3] She was raised in the Sydney suburb ofGlebe until the age of six, then inBlacktown, New South Wales.[4] Her father, Bob Collett, was a truck driver, and her mother Judy (née Cook) was acustomer-service representative.[2] Collette later learned on an episode ofWho Do You Think You Are? that Bob was possibly born as a result of his mother Norma's (née McWhinney) having anextramarital affair with aUS Navy chief petty officer stationed in Australia during and afterWorld War II.[2] Norma and her husband (Harold "Stanley" Collett)[5] were going through a divorce, and Bob's DNA test determined that Stanley was not his biological father.[2] Despite a public appeal in August 2015, her biological grandfather's name is not known.[2][6]
Collette has described her family as "[not] the most communicative" but has said that despite her parents' lack of money, they were supportive and made their children feel cared for.[7][8] She has fond memories of growing up in Blacktown, where she and her mother watched Saturday afternoon movie matinees presented byBill Collins.[9] She described her younger self as having "crazy" amounts of confidence.[10] When she was 11, she believed she hadappendicitis and convinced her doctors: She was taken to anemergency department and had the appendix removed.[10][11] As a student atBlacktown Girls High School, her favourite activities includednetball,tap dancing and swimming,[8][12] and she took part in local singing competitions.[9] Her ambition was to perform inmusicals, as she loved to sing and dance.[13]
Collette's first acting role was a high school performance ofGodspell at the age of 14; she auditioned by singing Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love for You".[14][15] She decided to become an actor the following year,[7] and was influenced byGeoffrey Rush's stage performance inThe Diary of a Madman (July–August 1989).[4][16] In 1989, with her parents' approval, she transferred to theAustralian 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."[12] The actor returned the extra "e" at the end of hersurname[2] which Stanley Collett had removed[5] as it sounded better for astage name.[3] She started atNational Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in early 1991, but left after 18 months to appear as Sonya inUncle Vanya (August–September 1992), directed byNeil Armfield, alongside Rush in thetitle role.[4][9][17]
In late 1988 Collette appeared inBurger Brain - The Fast Food Musical with The Sydney Morning Herald reviewer Bob Evans noting she "sings like a dream".[18] She made her television debut in 1988 on a comedy, variety showBlah Blah Blah as a singer.[4] Her first television acting role was in 1990, a guest appearance as Tracy, on theSeven Network drama seriesA Country Practice Season 10, Episode 31, "The Sting: Part 1".[19] Her first professional theatre role was as Debbie inOperation Holy Mountain in May of that year atQ Theatre, Penrith.[17][20] Frank Barnes ofJournal of the N.S.W Public School Teachers Federation noticed, "Collette [is] simply amazing in her professional debut as the girl with cerebral palsy."[20] She joined theSydney Theatre Company and, from December 1990 to February 1991, appeared inA Little Night Music at theDrama Theatre, Sydney Opera House.[17] She performedCordelia inKing Lear (March 1994) and was also in stage productions at theBelvoir Street Theatre, directed by Rush.[17]
In 1992, she made her feature film debut in the ensemble comedy dramaSpotswood (known in the US asThe Efficiency Expert), which starredAnthony Hopkins and included a then-newcomerRussell Crowe.[21] She played Wendy, a factory worker who harbours a secret attraction towards fellow worker Carey (Ben Mendelsohn).[22]Filmnews' Peter Galvin observed, "it's here that the film finds real warmth, vigour, and pain, all contained in [her] expressive face; she's terrific and so is Mendelsohn simply because we believe them."[22] Andrew Urban ofUrban Cinephile felt that, "[she] has a lovely role and does it with minimalist excellence."[23] For the performance, she earned her firstAACTA Award nomination, forBest Supporting Actress.[24] Between auditions for roles, she worked part-time delivering pizzas and selling jeans.[25]
In 1992, her agent alerted her to a proposed film project with a good role; a year laterMuriel's Wedding (1994) was financed and started casting in June 1993.[4][26] Although the actor auditioned on the first day, she did not win the role until three months later.[27][28] In preparation for portraying Muriel, the actor gained 18 kilograms (40 lb) in 7 weeks.[3][28]James Berardinelli ofReelviews called her "vibrant and energetic", while Peter Stack of theSan Francisco Chronicle opined that Collette played the lead role with "disarming earnestness".[29][30] She received her firstGolden Globe Award nomination, forBest Actress and won theAACTA Award for Best Actress.[21][31]
In 1996, she had parts in three films. In the comedy dramaCosì, which reunited her withMuriel's Wedding castmateRachel Griffiths, she played an actor recovering from drug addiction.David Stratton ofVariety magazine said Collette "[gave] a terrific performance".[32] In the dramaLilian's Story she played an eccentric woman sent to amental asylum in her youth. Stratton found her to be "poignant" and took note of her range and depth.[33] She won her second AACTA Award, this time forBest Actress in a Supporting Role.[34] In the period comedyEmma, an adaptation of Jane Austen'snovel of the same name, she played Harriet Smith, a close friend of thetitular character. Originally dismissive of Austen's works, she foundEmma to be "warm and witty and clever".[35] Jane Ganahl ofSan Francisco Chronicle wrote, "[Harriet was] played with heartbreaking empathy... desperately trying to meet Mr. Right – so awkwardly you fear she'll slip on a banana peel."[35]
She starred alongsideLisa Kudrow,Parker Posey andAlanna Ubach inClockwatchers (1997) which depicted the lives of four friends working in an office. Dustin Putman ofTheFilmFile called it a "jewel of a film" and praised the performances of the cast, particularly Collette whom he referred to as "outstanding".[36] For her supporting role as Michelle inThe Boys (1998) she won her thirdAACTA Award.[37] AlthoughVelvet Goldmine (1998), returned less than half its production budget at the box office,[38]Metacritic reports a 65% score based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[39] It grew in stature after its release to become acult film.[40] Collette credited it with revitalising her passion for acting as it had freed her from distress she had been facing.[41] Her next film,8½ Women (1999) was not as well received: Metacritic gave it a "generally unfavorable" score of 36%.[42]
When Collette receivedM. Night Shyamalan's script forThe Sixth Sense (1999), she feared it would be a "formulaic Hollywood action drama".[41] However, she was moved by the story and agreed to audition, winning the role over other actors, includingMarisa Tomei.[41] She portrayed Lynn Sear, a mother struggling to raise her son Cole (Haley Joel Osment) who communicates with ghosts.[41][43] Gary Thompson ofThe Philadelphia Inquirer observed, "the scene in the car when [Cole] divulges his secret is so riveting... and it's so well-acted by Osment and Collette."[44] He added, "she'd become the greatest screen weeper of her generation."[44]The Sixth Sense grossed US$670 million on a budget of US$40 million and became thesecond-highest-grossing film of 1999.[45] It gathered sixAcademy Award nominations including Collette's forBest Supporting Actress.[21][46] She reflected, "There was some definite feeling we all had that it was going to somehow be special. [... It] did really well and has been loved by a lot of people."[46]
In 2000 she made herBroadway debut with a leading role inThe Wild Party, playing Queenie, a masochisticshowgirl who hosts a lavish party with her husband. Originally written forVanessa Williams, it went to Collette after the former was unavailable.[47]Charles Isherwood felt under-whelmed by the musical and the actor's performance, "[Collette's] Queenie is flat and one-dimensional; she doesn't convey the warmth that invites emotional investment."[48]Ben Brantley ofThe New York Times differed, "Ms. Collette... gives the evening's most fully realized performance," but criticised the lack of chemistry withYancey Arias.[49] She was nominated for theTony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.[21] Collette turned down the title role inBridget Jones's Diary due to her Broadway commitments.[50]
She followed with a supporting role in the action thrillerShaft (2000). The film received "mixed or average reviews",[51] and grossed US$107.2 million on a budget of US$46 million.[52] Kam Williams ofAfrican American Literature Book Club noticed, "Collette lends the film some convincing and welcome dramatic weight as the frightened, conflicted Diane."[53] However, John Patterson ofThe Guardian rated it as a "career low" for her.[54] In 2001 she appeared in theHBOTV movieDinner with Friends and played Beth, a middle-aged woman who struggles with her husband leaving her for another woman. Steven Oxman ofVariety said that she was "well suited" to her role, while Bruce Fetts ofEntertainment Weekly praised her "flawless" American accent.[55][56] The show earned a nomination for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.[21]
In 2002 she had a supporting role inThe Hours, based on thenovel of the same name, playing Kitty, a woman who plans to undergo surgery for herinfertility. John Patterson felt she gave an "utterly convincing small-scale emotional meltdown born of suburban sadness and sexual self-repression."[54][57] The film received positive reviews and was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Picture.[21] InAbout a Boy (2002) she portrayed a woman withdepression who attempts to commitsuicide. Daniel Saney ofDigital Spy said that she was "as impressive as ever" while Sheila Johnston ofScreen Daily praised her "powerful presence".[58][59] She was nominated for theBAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and won theBoston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress for both 2002 performances.[21]
Collette played the lead role inJapanese Story (2003) as Sandy an Australiangeologist who develops an intense relationship with a Japanese businessman. It was screened at the2003 Cannes Film Festival.[60] The performance led to reviewers welcoming her return to lead roles: the first sinceMuriel'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."[54] Richard Porton of theChicago Reader remarked, "[her] pitch-perfect performance and the stunning evocation of the forbidding and beautiful outback make this film unexpectedly rewarding."[61] Critics praised her emotional range, with some regarding the performance to be the best of her career.[62] She won her fourth AACTA Award statuette for her portrayal of Sandy Edwards inJapanese Story.[63] Her two releases of 2004,The Last Shot andConnie and Carla, were rated as having "mixed or average reviews" by Metacritic.[64]
Collette's only film in 2005,In Her Shoes, was a comedy drama about the relationship between two sisters (Rose and Maggie Feller) and their estranged grandmother, co-starringCameron Diaz andShirley MacLaine. Based on the 2002 novelof the same name byJennifer Weiner, the film received "mixed or average" reviews from critics.[65] She was subsequently nominated for aSatellite Award for Best Actress for her performance of Rose, a successful-but-lonely lawyer with low self-esteem, whichMick LaSalle of theSan Francisco Chronicle noticed, "As usual, [her] face is a fine-tuned transmitter of her emotions, moment by moment, and she becomes the locus of audience feeling."[66]
In 2006, she starred inLittle Miss Sunshine, a comedy dramaroad movie about a family's trip to a children's beauty pageant. It premiered at theSundance Film Festival in January of that year, and its distribution rights were bought byFox Searchlight Pictures for one of the biggest deals in the history of the festival.[67]Sharon Waxman ofThe New York Times called her "funny and believable", while Stella Papamichael ofBBC felt that she was "underused".[68][69] The film had positive reception, resulting in her second BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations.[21] It grossed US$100.5 million worldwide and became one of the most successful independent films of the mid-2000s.[70] Also in that year the actor took supporting roles in thethrillersThe Night Listener andThe Dead Girl. The latter was released to "generally favorable" reviews,[64][71] whileThe Night Listener was higher earning with a revenue of US$10.5 million.[72]
In her first television engagement in five years, the HBO-BBC joint miniseriesTsunami: The Aftermath (2006), she played an Australian government employee who tries to cope with the events following the2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resultingtsunami in Thailand. The film received mixed reviews from critics. Robert Bianco ofUSA Today said that it was, "inexcusably tasteless, tone deaf... and dull", and Brian Lowry ofVariety remarked that the film, "[grasps] for higher ground that it never reaches."[73][74] Despite this, praise was given to the performances of the cast.[75][76] For her role, Collette earned her firstPrimetime Emmy nomination and third Golden Globe nomination.[21][77] At a ceremony in August 2006, Collette inductedHelen Reddy into theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)Hall of Fame and described her song, "I Am Woman" (1971) as "timeless".[78]
After working as a juror at the2007 Cannes Film Festival, she starred in two releases of 2007,Towelhead andEvening.Clint Eastwood has planned to castNicholas Hoult & Collette in Juror No. 2.[79] They received "mixed or average reviews".[64] Kelly Vance ofEast Bay Express, calledTowelhead "one of the most intelligent films of the year" and praised the artist's performance.[80] In her review ofEvening, Putman called it "flawed in more ways than one" but lauded her for "[enlivening] her scenes with pathos".[81] In 2008 she played a small role inHey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger, and also served as anexecutive producer.[21] Her scenes were shot in a week.[82] The film received tepid reviews and failed to recoup its $6 million budget. Bernadete McNulty, writing forThe Daily Telegraph, wrote, "[her] presence may have got this Australian debut from writer/director Cathy Randall off the ground [but] her slight role is insufficient to make it fly the distance."[83] Her other 2008 film,The Black Balloon, was better received, for which she was also co-executive producer.[21] Frank Hatherley ofScreen Daily praised the film and her acting, "[she] gives another of her warm, full-blooded portraits" andRoger Ebert venerated her performance as being the heart of the film.[84][85] She won her fifth AACTA Award for the role of Maggie Mollison inThe Black Balloon.[86]
In 2008, Collette accepted the leading role in theShowtime TV comedy-drama series,United States of Tara.[87] Created bySteven Spielberg andDiablo Cody, it revolves around Tara Gregson, a wife and mother of two, who hasdissociative identity disorder, and is coping with alternate personalities.[87] She was given the leading role by Spielberg without auditioning.[88] In the role, she portrayed multiple characters and found that it required more preparation than she normally did.[87] However, after she understood the characters better, she found it easier to play them.[87] The show was originally planned for a twelve-episode season, but was renewed for a second and third season after it gave the network its highest ratings since 2004.[89] The series and her performance received generally favorable reviews.[90] Tim Goodman of theSan Francisco Chronicle called her a "tour de force", and Ariana Bacle ofEntertainment Weekly praised the actor's "flawless" transition between personalities that felt so "insanely distinct" that they could have each been a different actor.[91][92] Collette won both thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and theGolden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Comedy in 2009 and was nominated for both again in the following year.[21] Also in 2009, she provided voice acting as Mary in the animated filmMary and Max.[93]
Collette was originally set to star in 2009'sAway We Go, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. She then starred as a single mother of a precocious child inJesus Henry Christ (2011).[64] The film received "mixed or average reviews";[64] James Plath ofMovie Metropolis called her "terrific" but John DeFore ofThe Hollywood Reporter felt that she was severely underutilised.[94][95] She later had a supporting role in the horror-comedyFright Night (2011). The film reunited her with filmmakerCraig Gillespie who had directed her in several episodes ofUnited States of Tara.[96] Debbie Lynn Elias ofBehind the Lens called her "pitchfork perfect" while Emmet Asher-Perrin ofTor.com said that she was "charming as always".[97][98] The film received "generally favorable reviews".[64]
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Collette's first release of 2012 was the independent comedy dramaMental. She played Shaz, a hitchhiker who is hired as ananny to take care of fivementally ill sisters. Despite giving the film a negative review, Gary Goldstein of theLos Angeles Times said that the actor "rips into her woolly role as if channeling a leftover personality from herUnited States of Tara days."[99] Luke Buckmaster ofCrikey called her "charismatic and all-inhabiting".[100] She received her third AACTA Best Actress nomination for the role. Later in the year, she playedPeggy, a supporting role in thebiographical drama,Hitchcock.Deborah Ross, writing forThe Spectator, provided an unenthusiastic review and wrote, "[Hitchcock] wastes many of its cast members - particularly Toni Collette."[101]
In 2013, Collette was seen in the independent filmThe Way, Way Back, oppositeSteve Carell andSam Rockwell, and inEnough Said, withJulia Louis-Dreyfus andJames Gandolfini. ForThe Way, Way Back, she received positive reviews: Andrew O'Hehir ofSalon magazine praised her "brilliant, understated performance;"[102]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone noticed her star quality;[103] Berardinelli described her adaptability and said that she gives a performance far and above what the role required.[104] Her performance inEnough Said was also well received; Katie Smith-Wong ofFlickFeast praised her for bringing humour to the film but Joseph Walsh ofCinVue said that she was underused.[105][106] Later that year, Collette starred in the CBS TV drama,Hostages, which received reviews that were generally favourable,[90] but weak ratings.RedEye's Curt Wagner was fascinated by her performance,[107] while Verne Gay ofNewsday felt she was "superb",[108] andUSA Today's Bianco as "nuanced" and "grounded".[109] The series aired for fifteen episodes and, due to a combination of low ratings and a closed narrative, did not return for a second season.[110]
In the comedy dramaLucky Them (2013), which debuted at theToronto International Film Festival, Collette portrayed Ellie Klug, a music critic assigned to write about a disappeared musician and childhood sweetheart, and tasked herself to track him down. She took on the role because she felt the script had a realistic and in-depth approach to topics likeself-sufficiency andself-realization.[111] She later said that, out of all the roles she had played, Ellie resembled her the most.[111] The film earned "generally favorable reviews", with praise for her performance.[112] David Rooney ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote that it was "centered by smart, soulful work by the wonderful Toni Collette" and that she played her character "with warmth, realness and emotional transparency that make you stay with her even when she's pushing people away."[113] The film also screened at theTribeca Film Festival, where Joe Bendel ofLibertas Film Magazine ranked her performance as the fourth-best of the festival.[114] Upon release,Mike D'Angelo ofThe Dissolve wrote that she "is capable of anything".[115]
After a 14-year absence, Collette returned to Broadway in 2014, starring as Jennifer Jones inWill Eno's playThe Realistic Joneses alongside co-stars Marisa Tomei,Michael C. Hall, andTracy Letts. The play examines a couple who project their insecurities and fears onto their next-door neighbours with the same last name. The play opened to positive reviews, with the actor and the entire cast earning high praise.[116] Charles Isherwood fromThe New York Times wrote that "Ms. Collette exudes a touching, exasperated dignity as Jennifer."[117]Variety's Marilyn Stasio called her work "terribly funny",[118] while Rooney ofThe Hollywood Reporter claimed, "Collette, whose naturalness can cut through even the very deliberate theatrical artifice of Eno's dialogue and scene construction, anchors the play with her somber restraint and deadpan delivery."[119] The artist and her co-stars won aDrama Desk Special Award for Best Ensemble Performance.[120]
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In 2014, Collette appeared in three comedy films,Tammy,A Long Way Down andHector and the Search for Happiness.[64] All three are rated as having "generally unfavorable reviews" by Metacritic.[64] Also in that year she provided the voice to Lady Portley-Rind in the animationThe Boxtrolls.[64] She starred as Milly, oppositeDrew Barrymore as Jess, in the comedy dramaMiss You Already (2015), about two women whose friendship is tested when Jess starts a family while Milly falls ill. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival,[121] and Metacritic rated it at 59% indicating "mixed or average reviews".[122] Billy Goodykoontz ofThe Arizona Republic asserted that "[her] work is so compulsively watchable thatMiss You Already is worth a watch for that reason alone."[123] Collette then played the matriarch of a dysfunctional family in the horror filmKrampus (also 2015). Her sole release of 2016 was the crime thrillerImperium, oppositeDaniel Radcliffe, she portrayed Angela Zamparo, an FBI analyst targeting a white supremacist group. Despite its limited release, the film garnered positive reviews, with Gary Goldstein of theLos Angeles Times calling it "impressively dimensional...tense, gripping and disturbing," and found her to be "excellent" as Radcliffe's character's supervisor.[124]
In 2017, Collette appeared in several films: to varying degrees of success. The action film,XXX: Return of Xander Cage, starringVin Diesel, was a commercial success, grossing $346.1 million[125] and earned mixed reviews, though Mick LaSalle of theSan Francisco Chronicle praised her for "embrac[ing] the cold-blooded extremes of her role" as a CIA operative.[126] Her next two films, the war dramaThe Yellow Birds and the comedyFun Mom Dinner, premiered at theSundance Film Festival.[127] Although both of these gathered "mixed or average reviews",[64] the actor's work was appreciated, particularly in the former, with theLos Angeles Times critic taking note of how she, and co-starJennifer Aniston, "deliver uniformly naturalistic performances."[128] She was also in the action-thrillerUnlocked, and the comediesMadame andPlease Stand By, all of which received "mixed or average reviews" according to Metacritic.[64] The mystery dramaJasper Jones (2017) was better received—obtaining 77% atRotten Tomatoes.[129] Sandra Hall ofThe Sydney Morning Herald praised her emotional range and James Douglas, writing forThe Guardian, said that she was "impossibly vivacious as always".[130][131] Richard Kuipers ofVariety eulogized the artist's climactic monologue in which her character laments her discontent, calling her "positively electrifying".[132]
Also in that year, she formed the production company Vocab Films, with her US-based talent manager Jen Turner.[133] She had previously worked as executive producer for the films she appeared in,Like Minds (2006),The Black Balloon, andHey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger (both 2008).[134] Vocab Film's first project isThe Best of Adam Sharp (2016), a novel by fellow Australian,Graeme Simsion.[133] Collette is set to play the female lead role, Angelina Brown, who is described by Anita Busch ofDeadline as, "an intelligent and strong-willed woman... who taught [Adam] what it meant to find—and then lose—love."[133] Another project is Julia Dahl's novel,Invisible City, a co-production withRadicalMedia, for a TV murder mystery with the actor also serving as a script writer for the pilot episode.[135] She explained her motivation, "it's about fighting for personal freedom and living an authentic life. It couldn't be a more relevant time to tell this story about acceptance and integration, or lack thereof. These complex female characters are honest, flawed, and inspiring. We can always use more of those."[135]
In 2018, Collette starred in the horror filmHereditary, playing Annie Graham, the matriarch of a family haunted by the supernatural following the death of her mother.[136] She was initially reluctant to take on the role, but became convinced by the script's grounded approach and its exploration of grief and loss.[10] She considered it to be the most difficult of her career: in an interview withVulture's Rachel Handler she reflected, "There was no easy moment in this movie... I was shooting 14-take scenes, talking about great loss and difficulty in relating to my family."[137] The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and becameA24's highest-grossing film, earning US$80.2 million[138] Chris Nashawaty ofEntertainment Weekly praised her for "real dramatic power and force", while Michael Phillips of theChicago Tribune complimented her "fierce performance with a human pulse".[139][140] She won theGotham Independent Film Award for Best Actress and was nominated for theAACTA,Critics' Choice andIndependent Spirit Awards in that category for her performance.[21][141]
She starred inWanderlust (2018), aBBC One drama series about the troubled relationship between Collette's character, Joy Richards, a therapist, and her husband.[142][90] It was her first lead role in TV series sinceHostages. She also served as an associate producer on the series.[143] Ben Travers ofIndieWire wrote "[she guides] the [series] through turbulent emotional seas with assurance" and Jen Chaney ofVulture remarked that the show was worth watching solely for her performance.[143][144] Also that year, she appeared in the comedyHearts Beat Loud,[64] which also premiered at Sundance.Peter Bradshaw called it "a likable heartwarmer" and praised the actor for "[giving the] film some sinew in her supporting role."[145]
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That following year, Collette returned to the horror genre inDan Gilroy'sVelvet Buzzsaw (2019), alongsideJake Gyllenhaal andRene Russo. Partly a satire about the art world, it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to polarising reactions.[146][147]Chicago Sun-Times'Richard Roeper gave it a positive review, "[she is] as good as we'd expect [her] to be."[148] She played a supporting role as Joni Thrombey inRian Johnson's mystery thrillerKnives Out, alongside an ensemble cast includingDaniel Craig,Ana de Armas,Jamie Lee Curtis,Michael Shannon, andChristopher Plummer. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was a commercial success, grossing US$311.3 million.[149] Critics highlighted the performances of the cast:Joe Morgenstern wrote that Collette "nails her character's style with elan" and David Rooney considered her to be "divine as a deeply sincere phony".[150][151]
In 2019, Collette took on the role of apolice detective, Grace Rasmussen, investigating a troublingrape case, withMerritt Wever andKaitlyn Dever, in theNetflix miniseriesUnbelievable. She had accepted it prior to reading the script, finding the topic "important and so meaningful".[152] It had been seen by over 32 million people making it one of Netflix's highest viewed TV series.[153] Several critics praised her chemistry with Wever:[154] Jen Chaney ofNew York wrote, "Wever and Collette both create fully authentic women who ooze integrity but also have enough insecurities and make enough mistakes to seem like actual human beings".[155] For her performance, she received nominations for aGolden Globe Award and aPrimetime Emmy Award, and won theCritics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries.[156][157][158]
In 2020, she took on a leading role in the drama filmDream Horse, playing a middle-agedSouth Wales native who decides to train a racehorse. Dennis Harvey ofVariety praised her for "easily [carrying] the film's emotional weight."[159] She appeared inCharlie Kaufman's psychological thriller filmI'm Thinking of Ending Things, which was released on Netflix in September 2020.[160] In 2021, she had lead roles in the science fiction thriller filmStowaway, andGuillermo del Toro's neo-noir thriller filmNightmare Alley.[161] She starred in the Netflix thriller seriesPieces of Her (March 2022)[162] and playedKathleen Peterson in theHBO Max limited seriesThe Staircase, the later of which earned her a nomination for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.[163][164] In 2023, she produced and acted in theaction comedyMafia Mamma.[165] The following year she played an aggressive prosecutor during a murder trial inClint Eastwood's legal thrillerJuror No. 2 (2024).[166] In 2024 she played a devious wife to an egotistical politician played byMark Ruffalo inBong Joon-ho's dystopian science-fiction comedyMickey 17 (2025).[167] She is set to star oppositeAndy Garcia in the romantic comedyUnder the Stars directed byMichelle Danner.[168]
in 2025, Collette starred in the Netflix limited seriesWayward (2025), portraying Evelyn Wade, the founder and leader of a reform academy for troubled teens.[169]
Despite cherishing music and singing at a young age, Collette had stopped in the mid-1990s and explained, "[Singing] comes from a very personal place. It's your voice... and it's only in the last couple of years I felt comfortable in myself singing." In 1996 she sang three cover versions for the soundtrack of the film,Cosi: "Don't Dream It's Over" (originally byCrowded House), "Stand By Me" (Ben E. King) and "Throw Your Arms Around Me" (Hunters & Collectors).[170] In 2000 she recorded nine tracks for the cast album,The Wild Party, for the eponymous Broadwaymusical.[171] Elyse Sommer ofCurtainUp, in a review of the musical, wrote that she was a "topnotch singer" and particularly praised her rendition of "People Like Us".[172] For the soundtrack ofConnie and Carla (2004), Collette, and her co-starNia Vardalos, recorded duets of several show tunes including, "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair", "Maybe This Time" and "Cabaret".[173][174] David Haviland ofEye for Film praised the renditions, "The musical numbers are acamp triumph."[175] She sang the track, "Sunday Morning", for the albumSummertown byDeborah Conway and Willy Zygier. She has also performed songs for soundtracks ofAbout a Boy,A Long Way Down,Miss You Already andHearts Beat Loud.
Collette has been writing her own songs since her early teens.[176] In 2006 with encouragement of her husband Dave Galafassi on drums (ex-Gelbison), she formedToni Collette & the Finish in Sydney.[176][177] Also joining the band wereAmanda Brown on keyboards,Glenn Richards on guitar,David Lane on piano and keyboards and Pete Farley on bass guitar.[176][178] Their first gig was at The Basement, Sydney, "I was completely petrified and I think once I got that out of the way, I have just been enjoying it... In the acting, the film world, they try to hide things from actors, keep them cushioned. So I am really enjoying getting my hands dirty."[178]
On 9 October 2006 the band released their debut album,Beautiful Awkward Pictures, on Hoola Hoop Records. Using her personal life as an inspiration, she wrote all eleven tracks under her married name, Toni Collette-Galafassi.[14][179] It was recorded in two weeks: Collette co-produced withZygier.[176][180] Eclectic ofSputnikmusic gave it a positive review, "Collette's subdued vocals aren't perfect, but they're close enough to love all the same." He did, however, rebuke the lyrics of some tracks remarking that they had "some stunningly bad lines".[181] The album produced two singles, "Beautiful Awkward Pictures" (September 2006) and "Look Up" (March 2007). The latter reached theARIA Singles Chart top 100.[182] In July 2007 Toni Collette & the Finish headlined the Sydney show ofLive Earth, singing a cover of T. Rex's "Children of the Revolution".[183][184] They toured Australia,[185] but have not performed nor released any new material after 2007. In 2012 she expressed her desire to make another album, but said she found it difficult to find enough time to commit to that project.[186]
Collette supports various charities includingDoctors Without Borders,Amnesty International andFeeding America.[187] She expressed her support forPETA and, in July 2005, wrote a letter to thenAustralian Prime MinisterJohn Howard, asking him to ban the practice ofmulesing and thelive export of sheep.[188] Later that month, after speaking to sheep farmers, she reneged on supporting PETA's campaign against mulesing: "The issue is not as black and white as was previously presented to me. I was given to understand that there were 'effective and humane alternatives to prevent fly strike' and they are 'currently available'. I am now aware that there are no simple alternatives available to farmers at this time."[189]
In 2009, the actor auctioned off T-shirts of her own design to raise money for various charities.[190] Collette along with Drew Barrymore andCatherine Hardwicke, who all worked together onMiss You Already, worepink ribbons to supportBreast Cancer Awareness Month in October 2014.[191] She has raised money for OzHarvest, an organisation which collects excess food from Australian restaurants and redistributes it to the homeless.[192] She sold some of her personal items for an auction to raise money for the charity Cure Our Kids, which is dedicated to raising money for theoncology unit atThe Children's Hospital at Westmead.[193]
In 2010, she was part of the host committee to hold the third annual Go Go Gala which will benefit theGO Campaign which seeks to help orphans and vulnerable children throughout the world.[194] She took part in the promotion of the documentaryThe Lazarus Effect (2010), being featured in a small clip which sought to raise awareness of the positive impact of freeantiretroviral drug therapy for those living withHIV inAfrica.[195] In 2012, Collette has contributed an exclusive blog on the fight against hunger and a call to action forGiving Tuesday and the holiday season to theHuffington Post.[196]
In 2014, she was appointed as a global ambassador forConcern Worldwide. She made her first field visit with Concern toHaiti where she met families who, together with Concern, are working to break the cycle of extreme poverty. She had previously raised money for Concern's global campaign to fight hunger and malnutrition.[197] She has taken part in multiplePublic Service Announcements by Concern requesting the viewers to donate to Concern's various campaigns.[198][199] In 2017, she attended the 25th AnnualElton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party which seeks to raise money to support innovative HIV prevention, education programs and direct care and support services to people living with HIV.[200] She has expressed her support for theMe Too movement.[25]
Collette is described byToby Creswell and Samantha Trenoweth in their book,1001 Australians You Should Know (2006): "she proved her abilities as a serious actress in Rowan Woods' 1998 filmThe Boys and again in the big budget international hitsThe Sixth Sense andAbout a Boy."[201] Sharon Waxman ofThe New York Times wrote that the artist often embraces characters who are pathetic, insecure or otherwise unattractive.[69] However, the actor said she detests playing such characters, "If I keep perpetuating that image of myself — that of a downtrodden person — that's the only roles I'll get. And I'm getting tired of playing those roles."[69] Despite achieving stardom early in her career withThe Sixth Sense, she rarely acted in commerce-driven pictures. She prefers working inindependent films overblockbusters where the latter prioritize box-office success over telling a story.[186] Several journalists noted her gravitation towards playing dissatisfied and slightly neurotic mothers. When asked about beingtypecast in such roles, Collette replied, "All people are different. All women are different. A lot of women haven't had children but it doesn't change the fact that they're individuals and have some kind of individuality and spark about them."[202]
Collette listedGeoffrey Rush as one of her influences and remembered seeing him inThe Diary of a Madman (1989): "When I watched him in that, it was like being in church, I had a full-on spiritual awakening. I even wrote him this letter – I don't remember what it said, but it was very complimentary."[12] She does not find it difficult to detach herself from her roles, but reflected that after doing several heavy thematic films she, "[started] to find things were accumulating. I had to figure out a way to kind of shake it off. So I am figuring that out."[203] When asked how she decides to play her characters, she replied, "When I look at a character, I never look at the size of the role. I always look at the whole person, no matter how much they're featured in the movie."[204] She dislikes working withdialect coaches when preparing for an accent, as they usually make her feel self-conscious.[205] Although she has gained weight to play characters in previous films, she dislikes doing so, and after filmingIn Her Shoes, said that she would never do so again.[206]Brie Larson, who starred with Collette inUnited States of Tara, has cited her as an inspiration and praised her for being able to "disappear" into her roles.[207]Greg Kinnear, her co-star inDinner with Friends andLittle Miss Sunshine, called her "gifted" and commended her for being able to communicate without dialogue.[69]
"I try to put myself in the position of the character and feel things as holistically as I can. It's an exhausting way to do it. I'm not [going to] recommend it to anybody, but that's the only way I know how to do it."
In an analysis of Collette's acting style, Rilla Kingston compared her to character actressThelma Ritter who was widely praised for her supporting roles, and repeatedly typecast as the female comic second. Kingston took note of her use of physicality to convey her characters' emotions as inEmma andUnited States of Tara. She remarked that Collette's acting method references the components ofStanislavski's System of Acting. In studying her typecasting as mothers, Kingston wrote, "[Collette] selectively chooses roles of women and mothers which she can portray in ways that are multidimensional and different from another." She also wrote that the actor makes conscious efforts to break from the typecasting, with leading roles in films likeMiss You Already andLucky Them. At the end of her analysis, Kingston concluded, "Collette truly is a chameleon in both the versatility of her acting style and in the kind of roles she is willing to approach with a physicality-based method."[209]
Collette dated herVelvet Goldmine co-star,Jonathan Rhys Meyers, for about a year (c. 1997) before ending their relationship and described it as "hedonistic, drunken and probably dangerous".[69] She met musician Dave Galafassi at a 2002 album launch for his then-bandGelbison.[14][3][210] The couple married in a traditional Buddhist ceremony on 11 January 2003.[3][210] The couple have two children.[211][212] She has said that she is an avid camper and enjoys meditating.[213] They lived in Sydney in the 2000s before moving toLos Angeles.[25] The family returned to Sydney in 2019.[25][214] On 7 December 2022, Collette announced that she and Galafassi were divorcing.[215]
In her 20s, she found it difficult to adapt to being in the media spotlight and as a result, struggled withbulimia andpanic attacks.[9] The panic attacks lasted eight months, during which she described having pains in her chest, blurred vision and profuse sweating.[4] During this period she travelled extensively, shaved her head five times (once for a film role)[4] and bought a flat inBrixton, London. Her aim was to "explore different ideas and just look at life and try to understand it."[12] She left the Brixton flat after a few months because she saw a man "getting his head bashed in with a pole 30 metres away".[25]
Among her numerous accolades, Collette received fiveAACTA Awards from eight nominations,[216] aGolden Globe Award from six nominations,[156] aPrimetime Emmy Award from four nominations,[157] and aScreen Actors Guild Award from four nominations.[217] She also received nominations for twoBAFTA Awards and theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress.[218][219][220]
For her performance inMuriel's Wedding (1994), Collette received her firstGolden Globe Award nomination.[156] For her role inThe Sixth Sense (1999), she was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress.[220] She went on to earnBAFTA Award nominations forAbout a Boy (2002) andLittle Miss Sunshine (2006).[218][219] For the comedy-drama seriesUnited States of Tara (2008–2011), Collette earned aPrimetime Emmy Award and aGolden Globe Award.[156][157] Her work in the miniseriesUnbelievable (2019) led her to aCritics' Choice Television Award win, and garnered furtherGolden Globe Award andPrimetime Emmy Award nominations.[156][157][158]
Other appearances
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Recorded at The Shed on 10–24 January 2006
