Abbie Cornish (born 7 August 1982) is an Australian actress. She is well known in Australia for a number of film and television roles, her award-winning lead performance in 2004's Somersault and her role as Fanny Brawne in Bright Star.
Her career began at the age of thirteen, when she began taking jobs as a model after reaching the finals of a Dolly Magazine competition.[1] By the time she was sixteen, Cornish was juggling television acting roles with studying for her Higher School Certificate, with the intention of pursuing a career as a veterinarian.[citation needed] In 1999, Cornish was awarded the Australian Film Institute Young Actor's Award for her role in the ABC's television show Wildside and was soon offered her first role in a feature film, The Monkey's Mask.
