You could thank Tim Burton. Well, technically, it might have been America that gave Mia Wasikowska her first big break, with her reoccurring part in Gabriel Byrne's In Treatment, but it wasn't until Burton's Alice In Wonderland that the world met the ethereal, gamine-like Wasikowska. Since the fantasy flick — and due to her striking looks and serious acting chops — she has quickly become an indie-film powerhouse. Sure, she's a brilliant actress, but perhaps her success has something to do with her one true Hollywood advantage: She's Australian.
"Maybe I'll encourage an L.A. takeover," Wasikowska says jokingly. Hey, it could happen. Just think Naomi, Rose, Heath, Russell, Cate, Hugh — and her Stoker co-star Nicole Kidman. "She's amazing, and being from Australia, I have always admired her career," Wasikowska says of her current castmate.
And just like Kidman, she's a red-carpet stunner. Wearing Elie Saab, Wasikowska had recently shed the wig she wore for her eerie, hyper-intelligent, and breathtaking role in this March's Stoker. With a steadily fashionable following (she's already been tapped by Miu Miu), Wasikowska always looks ultra-polished but effortless. About her fashion, she reveals, "I wouldn't do daring just to do something daring. I just wear dresses I like. I wouldn't really care what other people think."
Photo: Dave Allocca/Starpix