BAFTA nominee Rose Byrne talks unwinding after emotional and demanding new role: "I drink a lot of alcohol"

On the small screen, Rose Byrne has tackled comedy in Platonic and hard-hitting biographical drama in Mrs America. On the big screen, the versatile Australian actress has petrified audiences in the Insidious horror franchise and cracked up crowds with the slapstick humour of Bridesmaids. Later this month, the 46-year-old tackles her most acclaimed role to date in the psychological drama If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. Byrne plays a mother facing an existential crisis in a visceral performance that has earned the star a stack of awards and Bafta and Oscar nominations…

It’s the Bafta Film Awards on Sunday, and you’re also nominated for an Oscar. What do you make of all the awards buzz for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You?

It’s extraordinary and very surreal. I mean, this is a tiny film and I’m honoured that it’s being acknowledged in this way. In the past, I’ve had more chances to do complex roles on television – but this is by far the most complex role I’ve had on film. This really stretched me and changed me. It’s been a highlight for sure.

What does working in television give you that the big screen usually doesn’t?

I like the opportunity to develop a relationship with an audience on television. I think that’s wonderful. I love shows that you invest in season after season, shows that you often want to revisit. Whether it’s classics like Seinfeld or The Sopranos, you want to revisit that group of people and see them again.

In the film, you play an anxious mother whose world starts to fall apart. How did you find this headspace?

I’m a mother, so this role hits home for me. I mean, there’s nothing more confronting than being a parent, because kids see the best of you and the worst of you – and it’s so much about your own limitations. There’s that cliché of your child ending up teaching you more about yourself than anything, but they are the greatest teachers. It’s exactly the same in this film.

Your co-star A$AP Rocky’s partner is Rihanna. Did you meet her?

When I met Rocky, I immediately asked, “Where’s your wife? Is she coming to set?” We were all waiting quietly, but she was a bit busy with a newborn. She didn’t come, but Rocky is lovely and his performance in this movie is very nuanced and funny.

How do you unwind after working on such an emotional character?

I drink a lot of alcohol. To be honest, it’s sometimes as simple as having a cocktail after a long day on set or switching on the TV. Everyone has different coping mechanisms. A lot of people have a spiritual practice or a religion but I don’t have any of that. Bobby [Cannavale, Rose’s actor husband] and I have a very simple life. We’re not surrounded by a lot of people. We have a community that we rely on at home in Brooklyn. It’s those things that I gravitate towards. I’m from a very close family who I lean on more and more.

How difficult is it to switch off when you head home?

Obviously, this is demanding subject matter, but I think I’m very good at keeping work at work and keeping home at home. It’s great to have that separation. My children couldn’t care less if I’ve had a long day – but in the best, most refreshing and grounding way. When I come home, I am now in the role of mum.

Have your children — Rocco, 10, and Rafael, 8 — seen many of your films and television shows?

Oh, no. I am married to an actor and they are not that interested in watching us on screen. They have a healthy disinterest in it, which I greatly respect. They have seen the Peter Rabbit films that I did, which were really fun, but that’s it. They have a very healthy distance from it all.

You’ve tackled horror, comedy, cartoons, drama, sci-fi and more. How do you choose your projects?

I want to constantly challenge myself and be scared. Without that, there’s no point. You have to feel like you’re on the brink every time. You have to want to continue. At times, I feel like you have to fail to then rediscover yourself and to have a continued career. I think failure is just as important as success, if not more important. I’ll return to the theatre and do a play or go home to Australia to find a smaller project if I want to change it up. Or I’ll try to shepherd projects through with my production company.

What career would you choose if you weren’t an actor?

Without acting, I’m not sure how I would be as a person. For me, it’s my saviour in many ways. I’m always grateful to get another job. That never leaves. And if it did leave, what then? I just don’t understand that feeling of security.

What’s next for you?

I’m doing a Noël Coward play in New York. My friend Scott Ellis is directing and I’m acting opposite Kelli O’Hara, who is a Tony Award-winning Broadway actress. She is brilliant. The play is called Fallen Angels and I’ve never done a broad comedy on stage, so I’m terrified – but I’m also excited.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is in cinemas from 20 February. The Bafta Film Awards are on Sunday 22 February at 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

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