Toni Collette is an Australian actress, singer-songwriter and producer, who has received various accolades.
Let’s find out more about the actress!
- As of 2014, has appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Sixth Sense (1999), The Hours (2002) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006).
- Gained 40 pounds in 7 weeks for Murriel’s wedding (1994) with the help of a dietitian.
- Was 5 months pregnant with her son Arlo when she completed filming on the third series of United States of Tara (2009).
- Toni sings with her band, called “The Finish”, and her husband, Dave Galafassi, is the Drummer.
- On the show Who Do You Think You Are? (2008), Toni discovered that her biological paternal grandfather was likely an American serviceman with whom her grandmother, Norma Ruby (McWhinney), had had a relationship, while ending her marriage to Toni’s legal grandfather, Harold Stanley Collett.
- As of the show’s airing in 2015, Toni did not know the name of her biological grandfather, and at the end of the episode, Toni showed a picture of the man and asked the public if anyone can recognize him.
- She has shaved her head five times. Only once for a film though.8 ½ Women (1999).
- Is only 11 years older than Paul Dano, who plays her son in Little Miss Sunshine (2006).
- Though she vowed not to gain any more weight for movie roles, director Curtis Hanson convinced her to gain twenty-five pounds for her role in In her shoes (2005). She believed it was important to her character’s personality.
- Is just 15 years older than Haley Joel Osment, who played her son in The sixth sense (1999).
- Dropped out of Australia’s NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts) in order to make her first film Spotswood (1991).
- Was romantically linked to actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers while the pair played a couple in Velvet Goldmine (1998).
- Played the mother for both Haley Joel Osment and Abigail Breslin in their Oscar nominated roles (The sixth sense (1999) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006)).
- Returned to work 3 months after giving birth to her son Arlo to begin filming Mental (2012).
- Despite playing her older sister in In her shoes (2005), Collette is actually 9 weeks younger than Cameron Diaz in real life.
- Strenuously campaigned for the role of Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd (2007) but ultimately lost it to Helena Bonham Carter.
- In 2015 Kate Winslet has said she would like to work with Collette.
- Nominated for a 2000 Tony Award for her performance as “Queenie” in Michael John LaChiusa’s musical “The Wild Party” on Broadway.
- For her portrayal in The Black Balloon (2008) as Maggie, a mother who uses sign language to communicate with her son who has autism and a condition now known as “selective mutism,” she learned more words and phrases in sign language than the script called for so that she could improvise and also give more complete meaning to things her character said when signing with Luke Ford, who also learned how to sign some words and phrases to portray, Charlie, the son with autism.
- Has portrayed the caregiver of young adults with autism in two films: As Maggie Mollison, the mother (and primary caregiver within the family) of a son with autism inThe Black Balloon (2008) and as Scottie, the group-home primary caregiver of a young woman with autism in Please Stand By (2017).
- Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007.
- Toni and her Connie and Carla (2004) co-star, Nia Vardalos, have the same full first name, Antonia.
- Gave birth to her son, Arlo Robert Galafassi, with husband Dave Galafassi, in Australia (22 April 2011).
- Gave birth to her daughter, Sage Florence Galafassi, by her husband Dave Galafassi, on 9 January 2008.
- Performs “Throw Your Arms Around Me”, “Don’t Dream It Over” and “Stand By Me” in the film, Cosi (1996).
- On the set of United States of Tara (2009), in which she portrays a person with personality disorder, she once breastfed her three months old daughter, fully dressed as her male identity Buck.
- Is occasionally mistaken for singer-songwriter Annie Lennox.
- Returned to work 9 months after giving birth to her daughter Sage in order to begin filming Mary and Max (2009).
- Starred as Sonya in the Sydney Theatre Company’s 1992 Production of Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya”.
- Shares her birth date (November 1, 1972) with actress Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg.
