'It's been a long romance'

THE MUCH-LOVED STAR REFLECTS ON HER ENDURING CAREER, FAMILY LIFE AND THE JOY OF STILL BEING IN HIGH DEMAND

- Jennie Noonan

Toni Collette was pumped at the premiere of her new Netflix series, Wayward, at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9.

“I’m so happy to be here. I don’t even remember how many times I’ve been here now,” she told reporters on the red carpet, clad in another Aussie icon, Zimmermann.

“I was so shocked — I went to a party and, as I was walking out, there was this massive portrait on the wall and I kind of walked by and I went, ‘That looks like me - oh my God, that is me!’” she continued. “From 1997 — and that wasn’t the first time, I don’t think ... It’s been a long romance.”

Toronto was also where Collette, 52, filmed the upcoming eight-part drama from Canadian creator Mae Martin, who was thrilled to have the actress sign on to play a mysterious headmistress in the sinister series about a correctional school for troubled teens where there’s more going on than meets the eye.

“In the writer's room, we would say, ‘You know, someone like Toni Collette,’” Martin told The Hollywood Reporter of the Australian actress during a joint interview. “We never thought we would actually even get you to read it, so to have you actually do it is just amazing.”

After three decades in the business, Collette is still chuffed to be thought of. “It’s very weird to think anyone’s ever thinking of you to be honest. As an actor, it just comes out of the blue,” she said, before joking, “But yeah, I mean this character is crazy, so that’s kind of offensive, actually.”