Rose Byrne | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Byrne in 2025 | |
| Born | Mary Rose Byrne (1979-07-24)24 July 1979 (age 46) Balmain, New South Wales, Australia |
| Education | University of Sydney |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Partner(s) | Brendan Cowell (2003–2010) Bobby Cannavale (2012–present) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Rose McIver (sister-in-law) |
Mary Rose Byrne (born 24 July 1979) is an Australian actress. She is known for her roles in films such asStar Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002),Troy (2004),28 Weeks Later (2007),Bridesmaids (2011), and theX-Men films (2011–2016). Her accolades include twoAACTA Awards, aSilver Bear and aVolpi Cup, in addition to nominations for twoPrimetime Emmy Awards and twoGolden Globe Awards.
Byrne made her screen debut in the filmDallas Doll (1994),[1] and continued to act in Australian film and television throughout the 1990s. She gained her first leading film role inThe Goddess of 1967 (2000), which earned her theVolpi Cup for Best Actress.[2]
Byrne established herself as a comedic actress with roles in films such asGet Him to the Greek (2010),Neighbors (2014),Spy (2015), andInstant Family (2018). She also starred in the film seriesInsidious (2010–2023) as well as in the family filmPeter Rabbit (2018), and its sequelPeter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021). For her performance as a troubled mother in theindependent filmIf I Had Legs I'd Kick You (2025), she received theSilver Bear for Best Leading Performance.
On television, Byrne appeared asEllen Parsons in the legal thriller seriesDamages (2007–2012), which earned her two consecutive nominations for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She also portrayedGloria Steinem in the miniseriesMrs. America (2020), and led the comedy seriesPhysical (2021–2023) andPlatonic (2023–present).
Mary Rose Byrne[3] was born on 24 July 1979[4] inBalmain, a suburb ofSydney, New South Wales. She hasIrish andScottish ancestry.[5][6] She is the youngest of four children; she has an older brother and two older sisters. In a 2009 interview, Byrne said that her mother was anatheist, while both she and her father wereagnostic.[7] Her family was described byThe Telegraph as "close-knit", and frequently kept her grounded as her career took off.[8]
Byrne attended Balmain Public School,[9]Australian Theatre for Young People (at age eight, encouraged by one of her sisters),[10] andHunters Hill High School[10] before attendingBradfield Senior College[11] for years 11 and 12.[12]
She later lived in the Sydney suburbs ofNewtown andBondi.[13] She auditioned for several major Australian drama school, including Nepean,WAAPA,NIDA, but was not accepted into any of them. Instead, she studied an arts degree atSydney University.[14]
In 1999, she studied acting at theAtlantic Theater Company, which was developed byDavid Mamet andWilliam H. Macy.[citation needed]
Byrne obtained her first film role inDallas Doll (1994) when she was 15 years old.[13] Throughout the 1990s, she appeared in several Australian television shows, such asWildside (1997) andEcho Point (1995), and starred as the love interest in the filmTwo Hands (1999), opposite fellow up-and-coming actorHeath Ledger. A role in the award-winning filmMy Mother Frank (2000) was followed by her first leading role inClara Law'sThe Goddess of 1967 (also 2000), which gained her theVolpi Cup for Best Actress at the57th Venice International Film Festival. Byrne revealed in a post-award interview that, prior to winning the Venice Film Festival Award, she was surprised by her own performance and found it confronting watching the film because her acting was "too depressing". Byrne admitted that "watching myself is confronting because I'm convinced I can't act and I want to get out, that's how insecure I am."[2]
On stage, Byrne starred inLa Dispute and in a production ofAnton Chekhov's classicThree Sisters at theSydney Theatre Company.[15] In 2002, she made a brief appearance asDormé, the handmaiden toNatalie Portman's SenatorPadmé Amidala, inGeorge Lucas'sStar Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. She then transitioned to Hollywood as she appeared in the 2002 thrillerCity of Ghosts, withMatt Dillon. Byrne had flown to the UK to shootI Capture the Castle (2003),Tim Fywell's adaptation of the 1948 novel of the same title byDodie Smith. In it, she portrayed Rose Mortmain, the elder sister ofRomola Garai's Cassandra.
In 2003, Byrne starred in three Australian films;The Night We Called It a Day, withMelanie Griffith andDennis Hopper;The Rage in Placid Lake, withBen Lee; andTake Away, alongsideVince Colosimo,Stephen Curry,John Howard andNathan Phillips. All films were comedies and opened to varying degrees of success at the box office, butThe Rage in Placid Lake earned Byrne anAACTA Award nomination for Best Actress. In the epic dramaTroy (2004), she took on the role ofBriseis, the captured priestess presented to "amuse"Brad Pitt'sAchilles.[16]Variety's review of the film stated: "Byrne's spoils-of-war chattel plays more as a convenient invention than as a woman who could possibly turn Achilles’ head and heart around".[17] In her other 2004 film release, the thrillerWicker Park, Byrne appeared, oppositeJosh Hartnett andDiane Kruger, as the girlfriend of a young advertising executive's old friend.[18]Wicker Park directorPaul McGuigan described her as the best actress he has worked with, and herTroy co-starPeter O'Toole described her as "beautiful, uncomplicated, simple, pure actress and a very nice girl".[19]
Byrne reunited with Peter O'Toole, playing a young servant, in theBBC TV dramaCasanova (2005), a three-episode production about 18th century Italian adventurerGiacomo Casanova. In 2005, she also starred withSnoop Dogg inThe Tenants, based onBernard Malamud's novel. In 2006, Byrne portrayedGabrielle de Polastron, duchesse de Polignac, a French aristocrat and friend ofMarie Antoinette, inSofia Coppola'sMarie Antoinette, withKirsten Dunst; and appeared as a medical examiner who thinks the dead woman she is prepping is her missing sister in the critically acclaimed thrillerThe Dead Girl,[20] directed byKaren Moncrieff.
In 2007, Byrne had significant parts in two studio sci-fi thriller films. She played a space vessel's pilot[21] inDanny Boyle's[22]Sunshine,[23] alongsideCillian Murphy andChris Evans, and also an army medical officer inJuan Carlos Fresnadillo's28 Weeks Later, the sequel to Boyle's28 Days Later. WhileSunshine flopped,28 Weeks Later was a critical success and grossed over US$64.2 million globally.[24] In 2007, Byrne began playingEllen Parsons, a bright, young attorney, in theFXlegal thriller television seriesDamages, alongsideGlenn Close.[25] Her performance was widely praised; she was nominated forPrimetime Emmy Awards forOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2009 and 2010, and forGolden Globe Awards forBest Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film in 2008 and 2010. She appeared in all 59 episodes of the series until its finale in September 2012.[26]
Following starring roles in the 2008 independent filmsJust Buried,[27] directed byChaz Thorne, andThe Tender Hook, withHugo Weaving, Byrne returned to the mainstream with the role of the mother of a teen, alongsideNicolas Cage, in the sci-fi thrillerKnowing (2009); it made US$186.5 million worldwide and received mixed reviews.[28] Byrne said she had not yet become strategic about her film choices. "You gravitate to where you want to go, but so much is out of your control", she remarked. After the success ofDamages, she asked her agents to send her out for comedies. "I was doing all of this really heavy, dramatic stuff, and I just needed a break,” she said.[16] Her request was met when she obtained the role of a scandalous pop star and the on-and-off girlfriend of a free-spirited rock star in the comedyGet Him to the Greek (2010), also starringRussell Brand andJonah Hill. DirectorNicholas Stoller admitted that, in her audition, he thought: "'Why is she here?' Because, you know, very good actress, but very serious". Nevertheless, he noted that Byrne "just destroyed [...] Like, destroyed in the way that someone fromSaturday Night Live would. And that was that".[16] The film was a commercial success, with a gross of US$60.9 million in North America.[29]
2011 was a turning point in Byrne's career, when she appeared in three high-profile theatrical films, leading to a trajectory that included three to four films per year. In her first 2011 release,James Wan's horror filmInsidious,[30][31] she starred as a mother whose son inexplicably enters a comatose state and becomes a vessel for malevolent spirits in anastral realm. Budgeted at US$1.5 million, it grossed US$97 million and began a franchise.[32] The comedyBridesmaids featured Byrne as the rich, beautiful, elite wife of the groom's boss, alongsideKristen Wiig,Maya Rudolph,Melissa McCarthy,Ellie Kemper, andWendi McLendon-Covey. It was a critical and commercial success, it grossed US$26 million in its opening weekend and eventually over US$288 million worldwide.[33][34][35][36]
Byrne appeared inX-Men: First Class, directed byMatthew Vaughn,[37] asMoira MacTaggert, a character she described as: "a woman in a man's world, she's very feisty and ambitious—you know, she's got a toughness about her which I liked".[38] She said she was unfamiliar with both the comics and the film series, except for "what a juggernaut of a film it was". She was cast late into production,[39] which had already begun. Her third and final 2011 film,First Class, was also a box office success, grossing US$353.6 million worldwide.[40]
Byrne had four film releases and one short film in 2013. She obtained the part of the newlywed wife, oppositeRafe Spall, inI Give It a Year, a comedy about the trials and tribulations of a couple during their first year of marriage.The Hollywood Reporter found Byrne and Spall to be "mismatched",[41] whileVariety praised their chemistry and noted: "Year will do nothing but enhance the reputations of its core actors, especially Byrne, who's shaping up into an ace comedienne perfectly suited to screwball".[42] The film was a commercial success in the UK and Australia, where it was given awide release in theatres.[43] InThe Place Beyond the Pines, a generational drama directed byDerek Cianfrance, she appeared withRyan Gosling andBradley Cooper, as the wife of a police officer who shoots a bank robber and has to deal with the consequences.[44][45] She played aGoogle executive in the filmThe Internship, oppositeVince Vaughn andOwen Wilson, as she was drawn to "the way it addressed the generational gaps and the ever-changing landscape of the technological world".[46][47]
Byrne filmedThe Turning, a short film installment in aTim Winton omnibus feature,[1] and worked again with fellow Australians Wan and Whannell for the sequelInsidious: Chapter 2, reuniting withPatrick Wilson andLin Shaye.[48] The film received mixed reviews from critics[49] and became the biggest opening day in North America box office history for the month of September following its release.[50] It eventually made over US$160 million against a budget of US$5 million.[51] 2014 saw Byrne star in the family dramediesAdult Beginners andThis Is Where I Leave You as well as the comedyNeighbors, alongsideSeth Rogen andZac Efron, in which she played one half of a couple who come into conflict with a fraternity that has recently moved in next door. Critics highlighted her performance inNeighbors, withThe Atlantic writing: "Byrne walks away with the film by making [her character] a well-rounded, conflicted person, rather than the film's fun cop who has to tell everyone the boring truth".[52][53] The film was a box office success, taking in US$270.1 million worldwide.[54][55]
A critically panned but commercially successful remake of the 1982 classic,Annie,[56] was released in December 2014 and featured Byrne playing the role of Grace Farrell, the titular character's mother figure and Mr. Stacks' faithful personal assistant. In 2015, Byrne reunited with Melissa McCarthy and starred withJude Law andJason Statham in the hit comedic action filmSpy,[56] playing the daughter of an arms dealer, and also starred withSusan Sarandon in the dramedyThe Meddler as the daughter of an ageing widow who moves to Los Angeles in hopes of starting a new life after her husband passes away. The film was acclaimed by critics and found an audience in limited release.[57] In 2016, she reprised her roles inNeighbors 2: Sorority Rising andX-Men: Apocalypse,[58] and in 2017, she filmed the black comedyI Love You, Daddy, directed by and also starringLouis C.K., but it was dropped by its distributor following sexual misconduct accusations made against C.K.
In 2018, Byrne voicedJemima Puddle-Duck and played a local woman named Bea who spends her time painting pictures of the rabbits in the live-action comedyPeter Rabbit,[56] which made US$351.2 million worldwide.[59] She reprised her role in the 2021 sequelPeter Rabbit 2: The Runaway.[60] InJuliet, Naked (also 2018),[56] a romantic comedy adapted fromNick Hornby'snovel of the same name, she appeared as a woman dating an obscure rock musician (played byEthan Hawke). The film was an arthouse success, withRotten Tomatoes' critical consensus reading: "Juliet, Naked's somewhat familiar narrative arc is elevated by standout work from a charming cast led by a well-matched Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke."[56]I Am Mother (2019) is a thriller and sci-fi movie withClara Rugaard and Oscar winnerHilary Swank. Byrne costarred withAdam Devine,Alexandra Shipp, andWanda Sykes as a voiced a virtual assistant in the movieJexi (2019).[56] She voiced Brandy Cattle in season 3 ofBluey[61] in the episodes, "Onesies” and “The Sign”.
In 2025, she received theSilver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the75th Berlin International Film Festival for her performance as a troubled mother inIf I Had Legs I'd Kick You (2025).[62]Later that year, Byrne won the Best Actress award at the 58thSitges Film Festival for the same role.[63]
Byrne has been considered one of the world's most beautiful women. She ranked 9th and 16th in AustralianFHM's "Sexiest Women in the World", in 2001 and 2006 respectively. She has been featured several times in "The Annual Independent Critics List of the 100 Most Beautiful Famous Faces from Around the World", ranking 15th (2004), 3rd (2005), 7th (2006), 5th (2007), 8th (2008), 1st (2009), and 15th (2010). She was also featured in the "Most Beautiful People" list of 2007 inWho Magazine, and ranked 5th inHallmark Channel's 2008 "TV's Sexiest Leading Woman" poll. She was voted 78th onAsk Men's Top 99 'most desirable' woman of 2012 list,[citation needed] andPeople ranked her 7th in its "Best Dressed Celebrities" list of 2015. Byrne was the face ofMax Factor between 2004 and 2009,[64] and in 2014, she became the face ofOroton, the Australian producer of luxury fashion accessories.[65]
Since the beginning of her career, her performances have been acclaimed by critics.[66][67][68] In 2018, Byrne was noted for her comedic work.[69] She consciously made the transition to less dramatic material in the late 2000s, finding the idea of being "boxed in" to be "insufferable".[16] "You have to be aggressive in this business,” she noted. "You have always got to push for what you want. Working with Glenn [Close, onDamages], she was the hardest worker ever. She was constantly pushing".[16] Her turn to comedy led toThe Hollywood Reporter calling her "the most in-demand supporting actress for comedies".[70]Decider wrote a story titled "How Did Rose Byrne Become One of Our Best Comedic Actresses?", in which it was remarked: "Byrne's emergence as one of the brightest stars in theApatowverse is all the more remarkable for her lack of a comedy background. [...] Any doubts about Byrne's massive comedic talent—and afterBridesmaids andNeighbors, you'd have to be pretty stubborn to still have doubts—were put to rest with 2015'sSpy, where she again steals the show as merciless terrorist Rayna. Byrne and McCarthy's private-plane banter is the highlight of the film and could have gone on another 30 minutes as far as I'm concerned".[71]
In 2013, Byrne lived in New York and said she remained insecure about a stable career: "I don't think that insecurity ever leaves you. You're a freelancer. There's always an element of uncertainty."[1] Byrne has supportedUNICEF Australia as the face of the 2007 Designers United campaign, and was a jury member ofTropfest in 2006 and Tropfest@Tribeca[72] in 2007. She is a graduate and ambassador for NIDA's (National Institute of Dramatic Art) Young Actors Studio.[73]
Through her brother George's marriage, Byrne is the sister-in-law of New Zealand actressRose McIver.[74] Byrne was in a relationship with Australian actorBrendan Cowell for over six years. He moved from Sydney to New York City following Byrne's success onDamages. Their relationship ended in January 2010.[75] Byrne has been in a relationship with American actorBobby Cannavale since 2012. They have two sons, born in February 2016 and November 2017.[76][77]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Echo Point | Belinda O'Connor | Main role; 130 episodes |
| 1997 | Fallen Angels | Siobhan | Episode: "Lerve, Lerve, Lerve" |
| Wildside | Heidi Benson | 2 episodes | |
| 1999 | Big Sky | Angie | Episode: "A Family Affair" |
| Heartbreak High | Carly Whitely | 4 episodes | |
| 2000 | Murder Call | Sarah Watson | Episode: "Still Life" |
| 2005 | Casanova | Edith | 3 episodes |
| 2007–2012 | Damages | Ellen Parsons | Main role; 59 episodes |
| 2012 | American Dad! | Jenny (voice) | Episode: "Ricky Spanish" |
| 2013 | Portlandia | Fred's date | Episode: "Soft Opening" |
| Hollywood Game Night | Herself | Episode: "Purr-ty People" | |
| 2016 | No Activity | Elizabeth | Main role (season 2); 5 episodes |
| 2016, 2024 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Chloe, Reporter Boeing employee in fake ad | Episode: "Journalism" Episode: "Boeing" |
| 2017 | The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks | Rebecca Skloot | Television film |
| 2018 | War on Waste | Herself | Episode 2.1 |
| Angie Tribeca | Norrah Newt | Episode: "Trader Foes" | |
| 2019 | At Home with Amy Sedaris | Mary Finkleton | Episode: "All About Amy" |
| 2020 | Mrs. America | Gloria Steinem | Miniseries; 9 episodes |
| 2021–2023 | Physical | Sheila Rubin | Main role; 30 episodes; also executive producer |
| 2022 | The Boys | Herself | Episode: "Herogasm";cameo[citation needed] |
| The Last Movie Stars | Estelle Parsons (voice) | Episode: "Chapter Three: The Legend of Paul Leonard Newman" | |
| 2022–present | Bluey | Brandy (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2023–present | Platonic | Sylvia | Main role; 20 episodes; also executive producer |
| 2024 | Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Leatherhead (voice) | |
| TBA | The Good Daughter | Samantha Quinn | Post-production; also executive producer[81] |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | La Dispute | Adine | Sydney Theatre Company | |
| 2001 | Three Sisters | Irina Sergeyevna Prozorova | Sydney Theatre Company | |
| 2014–2015 | You Can't Take It with You | Alice Sycamore | Longacre Theatre,Broadway | [82] |
| 2016 | Speed-the-Plow | Karen | Rosyln Packer Theatre, Sydney | [83] |
| 2020 | Medea | Medea | Brooklyn Academy of Music | [84] |
| 2026 | Fallen Angels | TBD | Todd Haimes Theatre | [85] |
| Year | Song | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Black the Sun" | Alex Lloyd | |
| 2002 | "I Miss You" | Darren Hayes | [86] |
| 2007 | "Digital Versicolor" | Glass Candy | [87] |
Rafa [is the new child's name] ... and now I have a 22-month-old and I have a 4-week-old...
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