CRUSHES: TONI COLLETTE

Toni Collette grew up in Blacktown, New South Wales, the daughter of a truck driver and customer service representative. She was cast in a school production of Godspell at age 14 and two years later, she convinced her parents to let her leave school and enroll at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts. She soon left school to perform in her film debut opposite Anthony Hopkins in Spotswood. In 1992 she was cast as the lead, Muriel Heslop, in PJ Hogan's film, Muriel's Wedding. She gained 40 pounds for the role and went on to win awards for her performance while the movie became a world-wide success. Since then she's gone on to perform in such hits as Emma, The Sixth Sense, Shaft, About a Boy, Little Miss Sunshine and can now be seen in the Showtime original drama United States of Tara.

You can learn more about Toni Collette here or watch this short documentary about her career.