Abbie Cornish

After a couple of minor ingenue roles in her native Australia, actress Abbie Cornish attained instant superstardom down under with a hypnotic, evocative, and multi-layered lead performance in director Cate Shortland's well-received psychological drama Somersault. That film — about a fragile young woman who comes completely unhinged while trying to build a new life for herself in a snowy Australian town — spoke volumes about Cornish's raw ability and foreshadowed a long and successful career for the young dramatist. She reinforced these notions with an equally demanding and harrowing turn as an art student who slides backward into heroin addiction in Neil Armfield's justly praised Candy (2005). Dissatisfied with the limitations of the Australian film industry, Cornish then jumped ship and went Hollywood, where she tackled supporting roles in such features as the 2006 A Good Year (opposite fellow Aussie Russell Crowe) and the 2007 period piece Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

by Nathan Southern, AMG