‘SEX IS A NORMAL PART OF LIFE’ Toni Collette thoughts on her latest role
The Australian actress like you’ve never seen her before
Toni Collette was catapulted to stardom after stealing hearts in the hugely successful film Muriel’s Wedding. She has since gone on to star in several blockbusters, but now the actress has set tongues wagging over her steamy new role in Bbc/netflix series, Wanderlust.
Collette stars as Joy, a therapist who is trying to keep the spark alive with her husband, Alan (Steven Mackintosh), after a cycling accident forces them to reassess their relationship. The show has already caused a major stir due some very erotic, X-rated scenes, but for Collette, who has been married to husband Dave Galafassi since 2003, doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about. “It’s [sex] such a normal part of life,” she admits. “But everyone shies away from it.” WHO caught up with the actress to chat about everything sex, her career and family.
Wanderlust has sparked headlines for its portrayal of sex. Why do you think don’t people want to explore it? That’s a big question. I personally think real intimacy isn’t just sex, it’s everything you bring with you into that place where you join with somebody else and share that moment. And in order to do that, you have got to know yourself, you have got to accept yourself and most people don’t do all the hard work to get to that point. When you were growing up, was sex a taboo subject? No, it wasn’t taboo and it was normal, which it is. But everyone has a different relationship [with] it. I like that the show looks at a life and acknowledges that intimacy is not just that physical act, it’s actually much greater than that. And, the sex is not gratuitous in the story and it’s very much a part of the narrative and folded into the story. It’s an entry point into the show and then the show becomes much deeper and more rewarding. Wanderlust got great reviews, how do you feel about reviews? I didn’t really read them for this. Recently on Hereditary it kind of got shoved in my face, but I tend to not read reviews in general, because the experience for me is the making and the telling of the story and the time on set with all of those people, sharing something special. That’s what I take away from it. Sometimes the information seeps through or whispers in and it’s encouraging and positive, but generally I like to avoid reviews. You’re also producing more work, is that something you would like to do more of? I have been developing a few things, I am having some projects written, adapting some books, and started a production company. I think the projects you have seen me attached to as a producer have thus far been less hands on – it’s more about the fact I am involved actually gets the ball rolling and brings some financing in, so actors often get that credit without having to do much heavy lifting. But I want to do the heavy lifting, and I like to be involved in storytelling from an earlier point in its evolution. You have had such a wonderful and varied career, what has been the most difficult thing to overcome? There’s nothing, like, overtly difficult. I am really, really thankful for this career. There’s no way I could have ever invented what I have experienced in my life. Everyone says that I grew up in a completely different world and I still get excited by the Hollywood sign, I still pinch myself and I still feel so very lucky. You are also a mum to Sage, 10, and Arlo, 7. What makes you proud to be a mum? I love when they are open with me and feel comfortable enough to be themselves. They are little humans and they might not have had as much experience as us, but they do have their experiences and they have their opinions. So, when other people notice that and are effusive about it, that always blows me away. It’s coming up to Christmas, how does your family celebrate? Christmas is always in Australia. We watch the Christmas carols the night before and we have presents in the morning and a big breakfast and spend a lot of the day swimming in the ocean, I love it.