Australian actors and actresses who made it in Hollywood

These Australian stars were surfing waves in Summer Bay or starred neighbours on Ramsay Street before their names were set in lights across Hollywood.

But soon enough, Hollywood came calling — and among the many to make the move was Isla Fisher.

The actress went from the small screen to the box office in films such as The Great Gatsby, Confessions of a Shopaholic and, more notably, Wedding Crashers, in which she went all-out in the audition.

The funniest audition ever,” casting director Lisa Beach recalled

“She came into the room and did the scene where she puts the make on [Vince Vaughn’s character] in the bathroom, and suddenly just goes out of her mind. And Isla, dare I say, spread her legs, flopped me down on my back and was just crawling all over me.”

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Also travelling through the Home and Away rite of passage was Naomi Watts. The British-born, Aussie-raised star left for Hollywood in the ’90s and soon got her big break in Mulholland Drive.

She has since established a stellar and steady career in LA, with roles in 21 Grams, King Kong and, most recently, Penguin Bloom, which she spoke to MarkMeets.com last year.

“It’s a story about a family, how they handle this tragedy together, how they repair themselves through the appearance of this magical bird,” she says of the film based on the best-selling book of the same name, about a magpie who helps the Bloom family deal with their mother’s accident.

“And yeah, the healing. And it’s a story of hope and resilience.”

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Another star to catch Hollywood’s eye relatively quickly was Heath Ledger. He won hearts in 10 Things I Hate About You and petrified viewers in The Dark Night with his portrayal of the Joker. Ledger sadly passed away in 2008 but won a posthumous Oscar for the role the following year.

Rose Byrne, who co-starred with Ledger in the 1999 film Two Hands, has also forged a career stateside. Since moving to Hollywood in 2007, she has appeared in numerous movies, including Bad Neighbours and Bridesmaids.