The Aussie actor who will always be thought of as "Muriel" has jetted into Sydney for a brief visit before hitting the US publicity circuit to promote her latest hit flick.

Toni Collette is set to light up the screen opposite Hollywood glamour-girl Cameron Diaz in the film In Her Shoes, but right now she is enjoying kicking back at the recently renovated Sydney Eastern Suburbs pad she owns with her musician hubbie Dave Galafassi.

The international star, who is as renowned for shunning the limelight as she is for the hilarious Abba-loving character that shot her to fame in 1994, has managed to avoid the Sydney paparazzi since she arrived here on Monday.

But Collette and Galafassi, a one-time member of Sydney band Gelbison, did enjoy a night out with friends at top Woollahra noshery Buzo on Wednesday night.

We hope she ate a good meal.

Collette, who famously piled on the pounds to play the frumpy Muriel, was forced to stack on about 10kgs then lose it again for the role as Diaz's sister Rose in In Her Shoes, due out in October.

"I was having lots of pizza, lots of pasta, lots of cheese and lots of wine. Then about 14 days off where I did a lot of Pilates as well as yoga," she said recently. Phew.