Toni has again won an AFI Award – the sixth in her career – this time the International Award for Best Actress for “United States of Tara”. Congratulations! I’m trying to find a video clip of her acceptance speech, so if anyone can help, please drop me a line.

It has taken quite its time to release on DVD since its January broadcast, but “United States of Tara” will finally be hitting stores on December 29, 2009. The disc will include all 12 episodes of the show’s first season as well as an additional disc with bonus features – an audio commentary with writer Diablo Cody and executive producer Jill Soloway as well as featurettes on Cody and Toni Collette. “United States of Tara” can be pre-ordered via Amazon.com.

Showtime has announced premiere dates for several returning series. It’s Monday lineup returns on Jan. 25 with the second season of “Secret Diary of a Call Girl” at 10 p.m., followed by “Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union” at 10:30 p.m. That same night, at 11 p.m., comes the launch of new series “La La Land,” from British comic Marc Wootton. Series stars Wootton as three different characters, as he interacts with real-life Angelenos. Then on March 22, Showtime’s Monday night sked shifts to the second season of its Edie Falco starrer “Nurse Jackie” at 10 p.m., followed by the sophomore season of “United States of Tara” – starring Emmy winner Toni Collette – at 10:30.

The nominees for the 2009 Samsung Mobile AFI Awards were announced on Wednesday 28 October 2009, at a special event held at the Chauvel Cinema, Sydney. And Toni’s role as Tara has won her yet another award nomination, this time as Best International Actress for the Australian AFI Award. The contenders in this category are Rose Byrne for “Damages,” Toni for “United States of Tara” and Melissa George and Mia Wasikowska for “In Treatment.” Additionally, “Mary & Max” has received a nomination among the Best Feature Films. The AFI Awards will be handed out on December 12, 2009.

The Emmy Awards will be handed out this Sunday – and the press and blogosphere is in full force to predict the winners. When it comes to the Comedy Actress category, most articles see Toni as the predicted and deserving winner. After all, predicting all kind of stuff is part of hyping things – and Toni won’t become a worse actress without an Emmy – still, this would be a fantastic honor, so keep your fingers crossed for Sunday!

The Courier Mail

Leading the charge is celebrated actress Collette, who is a strong contender in the major category of best lead actress in a comedy. “I think Toni Collette is sensational in the United States of Tara,” Variety’s TV critic Brian Lowry said. Roush agreed: “I don’t think there’s been a better performance in a comedy this year.” “The role itself is so dramatic and multi-faceted, playing a person with multiple personalities, and it’s such a showcase role that if anyone in that category can be a threat to Tina Fey it’s Collette,” he said.

The Detroit News

Toni Collette, “United States of Tara” on Showtime. Collette is a powerhouse and plays at least four characters as a woman with multiple personality disorder. Nominees such as Tina Fey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus have won before and it would be wonderful to give someone new a try.

The San Francisco Chronicle

Should win: Toni Collette. Will win: Toni Collette. Well, now here’s an interesting situation. We are living in a world where cutting-edge 30-minute cable comedies are really dramas that periodically have humor in them. But since these actresses are in this messed-up category, you’ve got to go with Collette, whose fearless performance as a woman with “dissociative identity disorder” became a weekly tour de force. Fey is fantastic, but Collette’s acting is unmatched.

San Diego Union Tribune

I’m not convinced that Showtime’s humanely dysfunctional “United States of Tara” is a comedy any more than “Weeds” is a comedy. But Toni Collette ‘sferocious performance as a woman with multiple personality disorder just screams “Emmy!!,” and I am thrilled someone listened. Not that it matters, since the award will probably go to the not-undeserving Tina Fey.

Toni has participated in Newsweek’s 2009 Emmy Roundtable, alongside Amy Poehler (Saturday Night Live) Jon Cryer (Two and A Half Men), Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program) and Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory). A transcript can be read over at Newsweek, eight clips can be found at Youtube. Thanks to Whitney for the heads-up!