Rose Byrne: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Rose Byrne famously lent her comedic talents to Neighbors which grossed $51 million in ticket sales as during its opening weekend.

In the R-rated comedy, she plays Seth Rogen’s wife, who stands by her man as a fraternity moves in next door, disrupting their new family. Let’s learn more about the poised Australian actress who has surprised audiences with her witty repertoire, dating back to her time on the set of the “Star Wars” prequel “Episode 2”.

1. She Kept Her Australian Accent for ‘Neighbors’

(Universal)

At 18, Byrne left her native Australia to come to Hollywood after winning a role in Star Wars Episode II. She said, “I had maybe two lines, but about 90 per cent of my fan mail is still about Star Wars.”

Since then, she’s went on to star is diverse film and TV roles. However, she’s usually asked to speak with an American accent.

She dished on one of the hardest words for her to say:

‘Sorry’ is a really hard one, I found that very hard to say.’Sorry’ I sounded really too posh, so it was about knocking it back and making her sound more like a Londoner and not like she was from the seventeenth century.

In Neighbors, they kept Byrne’s identity, as the Australian Rogen met in a study abroad setting. She told Metro that she was reluctant in the beginning:

Initially, I thought it would be too jarring. Then I thought it could work for the character, because Australians tend to have a wild streak. It’s a big drinking culture. There’s Irish and Scottish and English descent. And [her character] is so irresponsible. She’s not willing to grow up and thinks she can get away with the things she’s doing.

2. Most People Know Her From ‘Bridesmaids’

Although she started impressing audiences as Ellen Parsons on the psychological thriller series Damages, it was Bridesmaids that gave her more of a mainstream fame.

In the rom-com, which made $288 million worldwide, she played the seemingly perfect Helen, who was competing with Kristen Wiig’s character while planning their mutual friend’s wedding.

She told Esquire how that film changed her career.

It was absolutely a turning point for me. I’d never been a part of something that had been really, really so beloved and embraced and seen by so many people. I was just so proud to be a part of it.

In the big comedies she’s worked on such as Get Him to the Greek, and The Internship, she’s teamed up with comedians at the top of their games.

The actress credits them for being inspirations during the film making process.
She told Metro:

I’m still learning. I’m lucky to have been paired with Seth Rogen and Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph and Russell Brand — people who are brilliant and effortless at that.

3. Her Boyfriend Starred With Her in ‘Annie’

In 2012, Us Weekly reported the news that the couple had been together for a few months.

The lovebirds shared the screen in the Annie remake with Quvenzhané Wallis. Byrne admitted that she was a bit concerned about taking on a project with her beau:

I was initially nervous. Clearly, it could have not been a good idea, but it was very fun to have a really great friend on set. It was nice to share our day.

At the 2013 Emmy Awards, shown above, Cannavale won for Boardwalk Empire, and referred to Byrne as the ‘love of his life’ in his acceptance speech.

Although Byrne admits she wasn’t always into relationships and has said, “I was very shy and sensible as a child and pretty much into my 20s,” she has been in publicized relationships before.

Her exes include Australian actor Brendan Cowell and Australian director Gregor Jordan.

4. She Can Sing

In her first comedy, Get Him to The Greek, she plays pop star Jackie Q, the ex of Russell Brand’s Aldous Snow. That role expanded her horizons to include some on-screen singing

She told the Examiner about adding music to the mix:

That was kind of a surprise. I knew she was a pop star, but when I was eventually cast, they were like, ‘So you’re going to be doing some singing. You’re going to be recording some songs.’ I was like, ‘Recording? I need some singing lessons’ So I went and got some singing lessons. I’m not tone-deaf, but I’m not Aretha Franklin either.

The role also had her making music videos, which she came to embrace.

She talked about shooting the music video:

It was so fun. Talk about a mine field for satire. A music video is already kind of a comedy when you watch them, because they’re so over-the-top and over-produced. What’s the next step? How are people pushing it. And so for us, it was just hilarious.

5. She’s a New Yorker

(Getty)

In an interview Heavy did with Byrne, she said she has embraced the city:

For me I like a walking city, so I love to be able to just walk right out the door. The adrenaline of the place is very addictive. It’s still inspiring for me.

Spotted: Rose Byrne carries the @ElizandJames Leather Sling around NYC: Available at @shopbop http://t.co/sR6zvfGME5 pic.twitter.com/9PluVLioXR

— Elizabeth and James (@ElizandJames) October 3, 2013

Cannavale also calls Manhattan home, and the couple has been spotted together around town. Although she still has her heart in Australia, she explains that she has come to consider New York her second home.

She told Modern Luxury Manhattan:

Australia is my emotional home, but New York is my second home. I feel like myself in the city, and that’s all you want from a place. It’s an achievement to have found that. But we Australians are wandering people, aren’t we?

She also told Elle Canada, “New York is fantastic. People don’t care who you are when you’re walking around the streets.”