Toni Collette is an Academy Award-nominated Australian actress, best known for her roles in The Sixth Sense (1999) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006).

Collette was born Toni Collett (she later added an "e") on November 1, 1972, in Blacktown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She is the first of three children of Judith (Cook), a customer service representative, and Bob Collett, a truck driver. From age six, she was brought up in suburban Sydney. At the age of eleven, she showed her phenomenal acting skills when she faked appendicitis out of boredom and longing for attention; her act was so convincing that doctors had to remove her appendix, even though the test showed nothing was wrong with it. At 16, she left school and enrolled in the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA). At that time, she was a struggling actress, supporting herself by delivering pizzas. After 18 months of studies, she left NIDA for her feature film debut as "Wendy Robinson", opposite Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins, in The Efficiency Expert (1992), and earned herself a nomination for Best Supporting Actress from the Australian Film Institute.

Dave Galafassi (11 January 2003 - present) (2 children)

Trivia

Nominated for a 2000 Tony Award for her performance as "Queenie" in Michael John LaChiusa's musical "The Wild Party" on Broadway.
Gained 40 pounds in 7 weeks for Muriel's Wedding (1994) with the help of a dietitian.
Starred as Sonya in the Sydney Theatre Company's 1992 Production of Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya".
Has two brothers.
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.
Dropped out of Australia's NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts) in order to make her first film The Efficiency Expert (1992).
Toni sings with her band, called "The Finish", and her husband, Dave Galafassi, is the Drummer.

I'm an actor not a movie star. I prefer it that way. I think when you watch big stars on screen; it's really difficult to look beyond that very familiar persona. As an actor, you can play different characters and not be recognized. I know I've got parts that other bigger, more famous actors wanted. I think in some cases their fame is a hindrance because they're too identifiable.
I'm very happy with my lot. I like the variety I get. You don't want to spend your life repeating yourself. It's true of any kind of artist, you want to explore as wide and far as you can go, so that's what I've been trying to do.
My family, my relationships with my friends, my home and my music are the most important things in my life. I like being married, but it was never something I felt I had to do. Women in the States seem to think 'I gotta meet a man, I gotta get married'. I don't get that, I was getting on with my life and having a great time. I really did not expect to meet my husband and it was probably the best surprise of my life. It is everything, it's fun, comforting, it makes me feel so safe and centered.