Cate Blanchett

Awesome Aussies

Blanchett is the ultimate Aussie actress. She's portrayed everyone from Queen Elizabeth to an elf queen in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

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Cate Blanchett Blanchett is the ultimate Aussie actress. She's portrayed everyone from Queen Elizabeth to an elf queen in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
Emilie de Ravin Former dancer Emilie de Ravin first caught the attention of television viewers as Tess on the sci-fi series, "Roswell" (1999-2002), before hitting pay dirt as Claire on the cult TV hit "Lost." (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images)
Nicole Kidman The new mom is also one of the biggest Aussie stars in the stratosphere. Oh, and she used to be married to her "Days of Thunder" costar Tom Cruise. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
Portia de Rossi Born Mandy Rogers in Melbourne, Australia, de Rossi acted in TV commercials as a teen and modeled, but entered college to become a lawyer. She changed professions, however, when she was cast as one of the titular beauties tempting the wife of stuffy Hugh Grant in the 1994 comedy "Sirens." Rossi achieved TV fame when she joined the cast of "Ally McBeal" in 1998. (AP Photo/Mark Terrill)
Abbie Cornish Cornish is best known stateside for her alleged role as 'the other woman' in the breakup of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe's marriage. But Cornish has also starred in films like "The Golden Age" alongside fellow Aussie Cate Blanchett. (Photo by Sergio Dionisio/Getty Images)
Elle MacPherson They called her 'The Body' during her modeling days and Elle MacPherson still deserves the title. She hasn't acted much recently, but starred in 1994's "Sirens" alongside fellow Aussie Portia de Rossi. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
Isla Fisher Perky comedienne Isla Fisher stole the picture as the sex-obsessed bridesmaid in wedding crashers. She's engaged to British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer)
Rose Byrne Byrne stars on the FX hit "Damages," but she's also been on the big screen in "Troy" and "Marie Antoinette." (Photo: Matt Carr)
Naomi Watts Watts, who is best friends with Nicole Kidman, is a star in her own right, breaking through stateside in David Lynch's 2001 film "Mulholland Drive." (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
Melissa George George starred as Lauren Reed from 2003-2005 in ABC's "Alias," and appeared in the HBO drama "In Treatment." (Photo by Scott Wintrow/Getty Images)
Toni Collette Collette first won over American audiences in "Muriel's Wedding" and has continued to impress in films like "The Sixth Sense," "In Her Shoes" and "Little Miss Sunshine." (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Poppy Montgomery Montgomery plays FBI agent Samantha "Sam" Spade on the hit CBS crime procedural, "Without a Trace." (Photo: CBS)
Radha Mitchell This former Aussie soap star starred opposite Colin Farrell in the thriller "Phone Booth" and opposite Johnny Depp in "Finding Neverland." (Photo by Scott Wintrow/Getty Images)
Kylie Minogue Minogue also got her start as an Aussie soap actor before switching over to the dance music for which she is best known. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer)
Danni Minogue Kylie's youngest sister Danni Minogue is an actress/singer in her own right in the land down under, although she's not as well known stateside. (Photo by Gaye Gerard/Getty Images)
Olivia Newton-Jo... She wore tight exercise pants as she sang "Let's Get Physical" and tight leather pants as she sang opposite John Travolta in the musical movie "Grease." (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/ Getty Images)
Jacinda Barrett Barrett got her big break on the London version of MTV's "The Real World" and has been steadily acting on TV and in films ever since. (Photo: Universal)
Rachel Griffiths Rachel Griffiths burst onto the big screen as Toni Collette’s spitfire sidekick in "Muriel’s Wedding." Griffiths starred on the HBO series "Six Feet Under." Her excellent portrayal of the deeply dysfunctional Brenda Chenowith, who was raised as a mental and emotional experiment by her psychologist parents, earned her a pair of Emmy nominations. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Sophie Monk Monk starred in "Click" with Adam Sandler and was engaged to Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden, who is now dating Paris Hilton. (Photo by Kristian Dowling/Getty Images)
Peta Wilson Wilson rose to fame as the sultry star of the TV show, "La Femme Nikita." (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Miranda Otto Otto is best known in the U.S. for her role as Eowyn in the "Lord of the Rings" films. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Sarah Wynter Wynter starred as Kate Warner in the second season of "24." (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Natalie Imbrugli... This Aussie soap star, like her compatriot Kylie Minogue, made the switch to the music industry in the late 1990's, hitting it big with the single "Torn." (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)
Gemma Ward Otherworldly model Gemma Ward is slowly making the transition to actress. She'll appear in the upcoming film "The Black Balloon" alongside Toni Collette. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
Emma Booth You may not have heard of her yet, but the Aussie press is calling Emma Booth the 'next big thing.' She'll appear opposite Sienna Miller in the upcoming film "Hippie Hippie Shake." (Photo by Kristian Dowling/Getty Images for FilmInk)