Abbie Cornish

Wally Winthrop

Abbie Cornish, a native Australian, is an acclaimed young actress best known for her starring roles in the independent films Candy (2006) opposite Heath Ledger and Somersault (2004) with Sam Worthington, both Australian productions that garnered her “Best Lead Actress” awards from the Film Critics Circle of Australia. She was also awarded “Best Lead Actress” from the Australian Film Institute for Somersault and received a nomination for Candy. It was these two roles that earned her great notice in the U.S.

Most recently, following W.E., Cornish wrapped production on the indie drama film, The Girl. The film features a mother, played by Cornish, forced into running illegal immigrants across the border in order to protect her son from Child Protective Services.

In March of 2011, Cornish starred in Warner Brothers’ 3D sci-fi and action film Sucker Punch, helmed by Zack Snyder and just prior, Cornish was the female lead with Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper in Limitless. Relativity Media released the film nationwide on March 18, 2011. In 2010, Cornish lent her voice to the animated film Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, directed by Zack Snyder.

In fall 2009, Cornish starred in Jane Campion’s period drama Bright Star, which was a true life adaptation of famous poet John Keats’ love affair with a young woman named ‘Fanny Brawne’. Cornish received a British Independent Film Award nomination for Best Actress and received accolades from some of the most established critics in the US, UK and Australia. Bright Star premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for a Golden Palm Award at the Festival.

Cornish’s acting debut came at the age of fifteen on the Australian Broadcasting Company’s television series Children’s Hospital. Shortly thereafter, she co-starred on the ABC series Wildside, which garnered Cornish her first AFI honor in 1999. In 2003, Cornish earned her second AFI nomination for her guest role on the ABC mini-series Marking Time. She also appeared in Ridley Scott’s, A Good Year opposite Russell Crowe. In 2007, she starred opposite Cate Blanchett as the Queen’s favourite “lady-in- waiting” in Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age for Universal Pictures. In 2008 Cornish starred as the female lead in the Paramount Pictures drama Stop Loss directed by Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry).