Toni Collette — Australian Actress born on November 01, 1971,

Toni Collette is an Australian actress and musician, known for her acting work on stage, television, and film as well as a secondary career as the lead singer of the band Toni Collette & the Finish. She is a recipient of the Emmy and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, and has been nominated for both the Academy Award and the Tony Award... (wikipedia)

I think that the Japanese culture is one of the very few cultures left that is its own entity. They're just so traditional and so specific in their ways. It's kind of untouched, it's not Americanized.
There are actors who are really fantastically talented at being natural on screen and appearing to be themselves, but I like the challenge of becoming somebody else.
I don't try to live the life of my character but I think it's inevitable that there is some carry-over into your life.
Travelling's so much better when you know you've got a lovely home to go back to.
An accent in a way can be an entry into a character.