The South-African actress arrived in New York City with dreams of becoming a ballerina, but unfortunately a knee injury ended that ambition.

However her luck was soon to change when she moved to Hollywood to embark on an acting career. She was spotted by an agent when she was having an argument in a bank. He handed her his card and said if she could do that in front of a camera she could be a star. And how right he was! She won a Best Actress Oscar in 2003.