Perhaps a testament to Toni Collette’s talent in acting was an event when she was 11 years old. Out of boredom and want for attention, she faked having appendicitis; she was so convincing that doctors removed her appendix even if tests showed there’s nothing wrong with it. She has since won acting awards for films such as The Hours and Little Miss Sunshine.
Collette was born on November 1, 1972 in Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia. After high school, she attended the Australian Theatre for Young People, as well as the National Institute of Dramatic Art. She started acting in 1992, with the film Spotswood, and appeared in different Australian films. She won her first acting award from the Australian Film Institute for the 1994 film Muriel’s Wedding, for Best Actress. She won a second AFI Award, for Best Supporting Actress, for the 1995 film Lilian’s Story.
In 1999, Collette plays the mother of a troubled boy (Haley Joel Osment) in the horror film The Sixth Sense, which also starred Bruce Willis. She earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She then appeared in films such as 2000’s Shaft, 2002’s About a Boy and The Hours, and 2004’s Connie and Carla. In 2003, she won her fourth AFI Award—and her second AFI for Best Actress—for the film Japanese Story.
In 2006, she appeared in the independent film Little Miss Sunshine, which earned her a nomination for both a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award. In 2007, she took a year off acting, choosing to spend time with her family, and hoping to get roles in Australian films, preferring them over mainstream American films. Most recently, she worked on the Showtime series The United States of Tara, where she plays a mother of two diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder.