Toni Collette

Born: 1st November 1972
Where: Sydney, Australia

The actress was catapulted onto the international stage when she played the hapless Muriel Heslop in the cult hit Muriel's Wedding.

The versatile actress subsequently racked up a number of notable appearances, including an Oscar-nominated turn in The Sixth Sense as well as roles in About A Boy, The Hours and Japanese Story.

Collette first performed on stage as a teenager in a school production of Godspell.

By the age of 16, she left school and home to work with the Australian Theatre for Young People before enrolling at the National Institute of Dramatic Art.

After a year and half, she dropped out to pursue her career appearing in a handful of theatrical productions and guest appearances on Australian TV shows.

In 1992, she landed her first film role as a factory worker in the comedy Spotswood.

Collette then shot to international fame as the overweight but determined bride-to-be in 1994's Muriel's Wedding.

She gained 40 pounds in 7 weeks for the part that won her Australia's equivalent of an Oscar.

In 1996, Toni headed to America for a role in The Pallbearer, and then travelled to England to undertake the role of Harriet Smith, in Jane Austen's Emma.

She starred in a movie about an Australian named Diana Spencer who identifies with the British princess of the same name in Diana and Me.

She was cast as a struggling single mother of a psychic child (Haley Joel Osment) in the The Sixth Sense, her rich performance saw her nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

Toni was seen in John Singleton's remake of Shaft which reunited her onscreen with Velvet Goldmine co-star Christian Bale.

She co-starred with Hugh Grant as a manic depressive in About A Boy and won plaudits for her performance in The Hours.

Recent work has included the critically acclaimed drama Japanese Story and the drag comedy Connie and Carla opposite Nia Vardalos.