Scantily clad in sexy black lingerie and disguised by a blonde wig, Toni Collette straddles a pole seductively as patrons at a sleazy, dimly lit bar watch on.

Perhaps finding her inner sexpot before giving birth to first child Sage in January, the Oscar-nominated star left the ordinary characters of her past behind for her turn as a struggling single mother in Australian film Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger.

With talented New Zealander Keisha Castle-Hughes as effortlessly cool teen daughter Sunni, Collette has fun with the rebellious role, even taking to the streets on a macho motorbike.

For Collette the role is a stark departure from the heavily pregnant, nurturing mother of an autistic child she portrays in Australian drama The Black Balloon, which also features model-turned-actor Gemma Ward.

It's a huge contrast to the usually un-sexy roles the 35-year-old has played in the past, including Cameron Diaz's ordinary sister in In Her Shoes and her unforgettable title role as an ugly duckling in Muriel's Wedding.

On a break from her acting and music careers, she's tackling the role of a lifetime -- parenthood, in partnership with musician husband Dave Galafassi.