Born in 1967 in Wantage, England, she moved to Australia at age two. She studied literature at Melbourne's Monash University and drama at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. She gained prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s with roles in films like "Mansfield Park," "A.I. Artificial Intelligence," and "The Importance of Being Earnest." She also earned acclaim for her work in television, including the series "The Missing," and made her directorial debut with "Emily" in 2022.