The 98th Academy Awards are on this weekend and Rose Byrne is one of the nominees for best actress – but how much do you know about her?
The 98th Academy Awards take place this weekend, the annual highlight of the Hollywood awards season. Actors from some of the biggest and best films of the past 12 months will come together to celebrate cinema and the people involved.
Traditionally, two of the most high-profile categories at the Oscars are for Best Actor and Best Actress. Many in Hollywood strive for their whole careers to make it to be a nominee, and to win is often a highlight of their career.
This year, Rose Byrne is one of the nominees for the Best Actress award, for her performance in If I had Legs I Would Kick You. The drama, where Rose plays a psychotherapist who is stretched to her limits by caring for her daughter, who has a paediatric feeding disorder, was released to rave reviews, especially for her performance.
But how much do you know about Rose Byrne? Read on to find out some facts you might not know.
She was rejected by several drama schools
Rose had an interest in acting from an early age – she went to the Australian Theatre for Young People – and wanted to pursue this by attending drama school. However, her applications to several prestigious Australian institutions were unsuccessful, so instead she studied an arts degree at Sydney University.
But in 1999, she did get to study acting at the Atlantic Theater Company, which was developed by David Mamet and William H Macy.
Rose’s childhood best friend is also an actress
Rose’s best friend is Nadia Townsend. The pair met when they were teenagers at Hunters Hill High School. Like Rose, Nadia has also gone on to be a successful actress, appearing in numerous TV shows in her native Australia, as well as various Hollywood films, including Thor: Love and Thunder in 2022.
Nadia and Rose have appeared in the same film – a sci-fi thriller called Knowing in 2009, which also starred Nicolas Cage.
She appeared in her first movie aged 15
As mentioned, Rose was interested in acting from an early age, and she made her film debut at 15 in the black comedy-drama Dallas Doll in 1994. The Australian movie had mixed reviews on release.
After this, Rose appeared in several Australian TV shows, including short-lived soap opera Echo Point, which was cancelled after one season, and crime drama Wildside.
One of her major early roles was the crime comedy film Two Hands in 1999, where she starred alongside a young Heath Ledger.
Rose was introduced to her partner by her co-star
When Rose was working on Damages, her co-star Tate Donovan introduced her to fellow actor Bobby Cannavale. The pair hit it off and have been together since 2012. They now have two sons together (born in 2016 and 2017).
She can also sing
Rose is noted for her acting, but she can also sing. She appeared in the comedy caper film Get Him to the Greek in 2010 and for her role in that as Jackie Q, she did all her own singing
Rose has already won awards for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
As mentioned, Rose’s performance in If I had Legs I’d Kick You received huge praise. As well as the Oscar nomination, Rose has already won several awards for her role as Linda in the movie, including the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance, Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Performance and a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture.
