Attacking Toni
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
An unusual attack on Toni Collette appears in today’s Daily Telegraph.
Journo Erin McWhirter has jumped on news that Toni Collette is to star in the US drama The United States of Tara (the same casting news TV Tonight you about months ago). McWhirter is crying foul after it was Collette who three years ago was campaigning against the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement. At the time writers and actors were upset that the agreement would diminish local content and that Australian stories would start to disappear.
“We don’t want Australian kids to grow up with American accents,” Collette said at the time.
McWhirter writes, “Now in the final stages of pregnancy with her first child, Collette appears to be turning her back on those beliefs.”
She adds: “No doubt Collette will be enlisting the help of her friend and Muriel’s Wedding co-star Rachel Griffiths, who has been playing happy family with her husband Andrew Taylor and two children while living in the US, as she works on TV shows Six Feet Under and Brothers and Sisters.
“Collette’s turnaround prompts the question – are we that easily influenced by evil foreigners? I think not.”
What an unfair analogy. Collette is an actress. At the time she was campaigning for Aussie drama, for Australian stories to be heard with Australian voices. This doesn’t mean she, an an international actress, can’t earn a quid performing in international dramas. That’s what actors do!
McWhirter failed to mention Collette also appeared as an Aussie in the US-funded Tsunami: The Aftermath miniseries. She sounded dinky-di to me then.
For the record, the FTA Agreement with NZ has since resulted in an increase in NZ docos and dramas on our screen.
Source: Daily Telegraph
2 Responses
What do they expect? She’s a wonderful actress whose career is blossoming overseas. Besides, I don’t think she has much of a say (ultimately) in where her children are raised as most of her roles will most likely take place in either the US or the UK.
David, it’s the Daily Telegraph you are talking about. What would you expect from them, journalism? I think not.