Toni Collette Talks Move Into Producing; Drew Barrymore Friendship & Learning To Let Go Of Characters: “I Can’t Pretend, I Have To Feel Things” – Qumra
01.03.2024 - 18:55
/ deadline.com
Actress Toni Collette discussed her journey from a working-class neighborhood in northwest Sydney to Hollywood star in a masterclass at the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra talent and project development event on Friday.
The Oscar-nominated Muriel’s Wedding, Little Miss Sunshine, Knives Out and Unbelievable acting star is among six top cinema professionals attending Qumra, alongside directors Leos Carax, Claire Denis, Atom Egoyan and Jim Sheridan as well as sound editor and designer Martin Hernández.
Colette said she had been drawn to performance from an early age, firstly through musical theatre and tap dance.
“My father said I came out of the womb with jazz hands towards the light,” she joked.
Looking back on her early career, Collette recalled how she had dropped out of Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art NIDA after being offered the part of Sonya in a 1992 stage production of Uncle Vanya by Neil Armfield.
This in turn led to her first big screen starring role in P.J. Hogan’s comedy-drama Muriel’s Wedding, after she connected with her agent over her dilemma of whether to stay at school or take the part.
“When you go to drama school, they make you feel like it’s the be all and end all, but you’re going there because eventually you want to work. They made it such a difficult decision,” she recalled.
“I spoke to my agent. I was like, ‘I don’t wanna leave and then never work again.’ And she said, ‘Well, there’s this film. It’s not entirely funded yet, but I really think it’s right for you.”
A year later, the agent put Collette forward for the role of the titular Abba-loving, social misfit in Muriel’s Wedding.
“She only sent one person. She had complete faith in me. I met P.J. Hogan on the very first day of