Rose Byrne

Early roles in Australia and Hollywood breakthrough: Star Wars and Troy

Byrne began receiving acting jobs as a teenager, her first at the age of 13 in the film Dallas Doll (1994). She followed that up with a regular role in the Australian soap opera Echo Point (1995) and small guest roles in Australian TV series, including G.P. (1989–96), Wildside (1997–99), and Big Sky (1997–99). In 1999 she played a small-town girl who falls in love with a would-be gangster, played by fellow Australian Heath Ledger, in the independent film Two Hands.

Byrne’s career gained momentum following her turn as a blind and emotionally scarred woman in The Goddess of 1967 (2000), for which she won the best actress award at the Venice Film Festival. She made her Hollywood debut in Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones (2002) in a minor role as Queen Amidala’s (Natalie Portman) handmaiden Dormé. The role that brought her significantly more attention in Hollywood was director Wolfgang Petersen’s epic Troy, a massive commercial success that featured established actors such as Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, and Orlando Bloom. Byrne played Briseis, a captured priestess of Apollo and Trojan royal who falls in love with her captor Achilles (Pitt).

Following the release of Troy, Byrne shared the screen with Peter O’Toole and David Tennant in the romantic television miniseries Casanova (2005) and took on roles in a variety of films, including the period drama Marie Antoinette (2006), sci-fi epic Sunshine (2007), and the zombie horror film 28 Weeks Later (2007).

From drama to comedy: Damages, Bridesmaids, and Neighbors

Byrne garnered major recognition beginning in 2007 with her role in the television legal thriller Damages. Starring alongside Glenn Close, she portrayed a naive law school graduate who becomes a shrewd attorney and legal strategist. Byrne’s performance in the role earned her two Emmy Award nominations and two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress in a drama series.

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After starring mainly in dramatic roles for the early part of her career, Byrne began branching out into comedy. She began with the satire Get Him to the Greek (2010) and gained further recognition for her comedic chops in the Academy Award–nominated Bridesmaids, in which she portrayed a competitive, overachieving bridesmaid vying to be named as the bride’s best friend.

In the Neighbors movies (2014 and 2016), Byrne and Seth Rogen play young parents who clash with a party-loving neighborhood fraternity in the first film and a sorority in the sequel. She also starred in the comedy Spy (2015), which won her rave reviews from critics and audiences alike for her deadpan portrayal of the dangerous Bulgarian arms dealer Rayna Boyanov, whom CIA analyst Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) goes undercover to capture.

Later work: X-Men, Insidious, and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Since 2010 Byrne has been part of the Insidious horror series, playing Renai Lambert, a survivor of a supernatural attack, in four films of the franchise (2010, 2013, 2018, and 2023). In 2011 Byrne played CIA agent Moira MacTaggert in the hit superhero flick X-Men: First Class (2011) and reprised the role in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). In 2018 Byrne appeared in the family film Peter Rabbit, followed by its sequel Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway in 2021.

Byrne has lent her voice to three films: I Am Mother (2019), Jexi (2019), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023). In the Apple TV series Physical (2021–23), she played the lead role of a housewife who becomes an aerobics instructor. She also stars alongside Seth Rogen in another comedy from the streaming service, Platonic (2023– ), which examines friendship between two former best friends who reconnect after years. Critics have lauded Byrne and Rogen’s portrayals of best friends as they navigate a myriad of midlife challenges. In If I Had Legs I’d Kick You Byrne took on the role of a mother who must grapple with a litany of personal challenges, including her young daughter’s debilitating illness. Her performance won overwhelming critical praise and accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for best actress in a musical or comedy film. She also earned her first Oscar nomination.

Broadway

Byrne made her Broadway debut in 2014, appearing in the comedy You Can’t Take It with You. She later appeared in a revival of Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels, about two married women whose friendship is tested when a former lover of both returns. For her performance, Byrne received her first Tony Award nomination in 2026.