Xavier Rudd, Torquay’s roots music superstar, and Hollywood starlet Abbie Cornish are Australia’s sexiest vegetarians.

The pair won their crowns in a fierce month-long battle among voters at PETAAsiaPacific.com for celebrities who exude passion and compassion.

Australian actor Abbie Cornish impressed more than boyfriend Ryan Phillippe on the set of her new film Stop-Loss.

The 25-year-old star of local films such as Somersault and Candy was director Kimberly Peirce’s first choice to play a Texan soldier’s girlfriend because of her duality - being “one of the guys” and, at the same time, the woman they all fantasise about.

Peirce said that combination of qualities was impossible to find in American starlets vying for the role.

“When we were writing the character we knew we needed a Texan girl who, if you got a flat tyre on your truck she’d go change it, if you needed a gun shot she’d shoot it, and if you got in trouble and you needed to be bailed out, she’d do it,” Peirce said.

“She was one of the guys, and yet she was totally a woman. She was the one they would all fantasise about.

“You don’t find that in American actresses - I mean you really don’t - so she was my top choice.”

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As earlier reported, Abbie Cornish was honored at yesterday’s AiF 2008 Breakthrough Awards.

One of the night’s honorees, Abbie Cornish, also paid tribute to Ledger, her costar in 2006’s Candy. “Heath’s a magical guy,” she told People. “Really incredible in every way – as a human being and as an artist.”

Source: People

Los Angeles-based Australians in Film (AiF), the preeminent organization for expatriate Australians in the entertainment industry, is holding its fourth annual Breakthrough Awards to honor up-and-coming Australian actresses Abbie Cornish (Stop Loss) and Mia Wasikowska (In Treatment) on June 5, 2008, it was announced today by Susie Dobson, president of AiF. As part of the organization’s program to support emerging talent from Australia, Dobson also announced that AiF has established the Heath Ledger Scholarship Fund which will be presented annually to a young Australia-based actor to help them pursue their dream in Hollywood. The first Scholarship recipient to receive a financial contribution from AiF will be announced in 2009.

The Heath Ledger Scholarship is named in honor of Ledger who was an Ambassador for AiF before his untimely death in January 2008 and has the full support of the Heath Ledger family.

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Abbie Cornish has been nominated as one of PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities for 2008. The poll runs through 16 June. For more information and to cast your votes, please visit PETA.org.uk.

Being “green”, living healthy, embracing compassion and looking fabulous are all the rage in Tinseltown right now, with more and more celebrities finally figuring out that the best way to make all these things a part of their daily lives is by going vegetarian.

Whether they chose to go veg to improve their health, to help end global warming, or to avoid contributing to the inexcusable cruelty to animals on factory farms and in slaughterhouses, one thing is for sure – all these vegetarian celebrities have won our hearts and the hearts of animals.

We think they’re all sexy and couldn’t possibly pick just one favourite compassionate Hollywood hottie. We need your help! Cast your vote today for the World’s Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity, and stay tuned for the winners.

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