Of Mothers and Madwomen: Mining the Emotional Terrain of Toni Collette's Anti-Star Persona

Abstract

Since her breakthrough role in <i>Muriel's Wedding</i> in 1994, Toni Collette has forged a career spanning the Australian and American screen industries. Favoring emotionally and physically challenging parts rather than glamorous roles, Collette has crafted an anti-star persona by playing women living with mental illness or psychological trauma, or mothers caring for family members with mental health issues. Chapter 4 discusses key films that helped establish Collette's anti-star persona and explores the thematic and cultural resonances across these films, which share an interest in mental health and complex portrayals of motherhood. Toni Collette's career offers a case study of the role (and roles) that Australian actors play in global Hollywood cinema and how these performances influence and shape contemporary Australian film.