Biography
In the immediate aftermath of David Dobkin's
Wedding Crashers (2005), many American filmgoers began to associate Isla Fisher largely (if not exclusively) with her vivacious turn in that blockbuster summer comedy as the feisty and slightly off-kilter Gloria, the sex-crazed daughter of treasury secretary William Cleary (
Christopher Walken) and his wife (Jane Seymour). It was a testament not only to the memorable quality of the role but to Fisher's outstanding comic turn in it, as the seductress of gorilla
Vince Vaughn. But this short, spunky actress had much more up her sleeve than simply the Gloria Cleary bit.
Born in Oman but raised in Australia, Fisher published two teen romance novels in high school, then traveled to France and enrolled in a Parisian drama school, where she learned miming and juggling. Though Fisher's onscreen presence technically dates back to the late '80s, with a plum role in the small-screen Aussie soaper
Home and Away, she took her Hollywood bow over a decade later, as Shaggy's girlfriend, Mary Jane, in the Raja Gosnell-directed
Scooby-Doo (2002). Sandwiched in between forgettable features such as
Dallas 362 (2003) and
London (2005) came Fisher's portrayal of Heather in the David O. Russell "existential comedy"
I Heart Huckabees (2005). The actress starred as the "unlikely" wife of
Jason Biggs (
American Pie) in the 2006 romantic comedy
Wedding Daze, then geared up for choice parts in the sports comedy
Hot Rod (2007) and the thriller
The Lookout. She also signed to voice one of the characters in the 2008 animated feature
Horton Hears a Who, adapted from the classic book by Dr. Seuss. As this list demonstrates, Fisher continually evinced versatility and aptitude with a vast assortment of genres.
Off-camera, Fisher made headlines in the mid-2000s when she became romantically entwined with Borat himself,
Sacha Baron Cohen; the two became engaged and conceived a child together. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide