Interview: Rose Byrne

Monday, 16 May 2011 09:56

It’s admittedly weird to think of “chick flick” and “Judd Apatow” as likely bedfellows, so your first thought about this month’s Bridesmaids is probably what Rose Byrne was thinking, too. But since this Australian beauty loves to flaunt an American accent, playing any of the mis-matched co-stars in this timely comedy would have suited her just fine. This former Damages star does admit, however, that her character—the designated bitch “Helen”—did catch her eye. In this conversation, the 31-year-old also pondered the short shelf life of fame, her fantasy dinner dates, the sex appeal of Troy costar Brad Pitt, and just how un-erotic a male lap dance can be.

First things first. Tell us about the male strip club you visited to get into character as a bridesmaid for Maya Rudolph, who plays “Lillian,” the bride. Well, someone bought me a lap dance! And I was wearing this really nice expensive blouse, and I was like, “Aaah!” All over me. You know, it was slowly getting ruined. Then he looked at me and he was like, “You okay baby? Where did you come from, what's the problem? Let me talk to you!” So I was like, “Oh, the traffic!” And he went “Yeah, I know.”

Sounds creepy. Totally unsexy! You know, I'm like this nerdy, frigid weirdo. But that was fun.

So what made you want to be a part of this strange Judd Apatow brainchild? As a woman reading this story, it was brilliant to see it on the page. And I know “Helen;” I know “Lillian;” I know all these girls. And everybody has a story. They originally said to come in for Lillian and I was like, “Great.” But then I said, “Can I have a crack at Helen?” You know, the bitch! And they were like, “Okay, come in for both.” And [writer] Anne [Mumolo] and [writer and lead character] Kristen [Wiig] have such a history together; it's created from real people and real characters, and real stories from their own lives. It's very rare to read that, especially as an actress. Usually a role requires you to like take off your top in Scene Two. So to have something that's really fun and really about a dynamic between women that's very complicated—to explore it in a way that's not a cliché but that's also not sugar-coated—is interesting.

You starred in your first film back home in Australia when you were 13. What was that like? Like a crash course in getting famous. I felt pretty important… For six months! And then I was rudely awakened. There’s a lot of intensity when you’re on a set, and then it just goes away and no one’s giving you attention or flooding you with compliments. Then you suddenly realize that the world doesn’t revolve around you at all. You know, being an actor is mostly about rejection and being out of work, with my tail between my legs. So it was a fast lesson in all of that stuff. 

What about Hollywood and the fierce competition there, especially among females? I’m ambitious but I’m not particularly competitive. I’ll try to get roles, as I think it’s healthy to go for things. But I think there’s too much competition between women already. It’s important to have female solidarity, and support each other as actresses.

What can you say about men? Every experience is a new adventure.

How about playing a virgin priestess in Troy, with lots of steamy scenes with Brad Pitt? Ha! When you work with someone of that stature, that’s all you’re going to be inundated with and asked about. But it was fine. If I were reading a magazine, I’d want to know what he was like too. But yeah, most of my screen time was with BP.

....BP? I think everyone called him that on set—though not to his face! It was like, “Where’s BP?” Or, “Has BP gone for lunch?”

You’ve played the love interest of many sexy leading men—Brad Pitt, Nicolas Cage, Hugh Dancy, Josh Hartnett. Which one would you want to have dinner with the most? Yeah, I’ve had the pick of the lot! I’d love to have dinner with them all. If I could get them all there at the table, I’d be a happy girl! That would be fun. That would be hilarious!

You also co-starred with Heath Ledger in Australia in Two Hands. What are you memories of him? That film was a big part of my life in Australia, and it was a hit back home for both of us. But he was so talented, and he always was. He was such a charismatic actor and guy, especially on screen. And it’s so wonderful that he got to give us these great roles before he left us, because he was marvelous. And it’s so sad that there won’t be any more.

What does it mean to be Australian? We're the most unserious culture in the world!

So now that you've sampled a little bit of everything, which roles do you go for most? I really enjoy comedy. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a really long time, and it’s so exciting to finally have a chance to do it. And I’d love to do more.

A lot of people don’t know you’re Australian because you usually play Americans. How do you pull off such a flawless American accent? In Australia, we have a lot of American television. I grew up watching Family Ties, Happy Days, all of the sitcoms and everything. And I think I have a natural ear for it. And then, just training. And I’ve been surrounded by Americans, so I think that has really been ingrained into me. But I really love doing the accent; I enjoy it. I can hide behind it in a way, which I love.

Is there any character you'd want to play that you haven’t done yet? I would love to do Ophelia. But I might be a little old now! I’ve always had a fantasy about playing her. But other than that, doing more comedy would be great. And to get better at it.

What about fame stuff, do people stop you on the street? I don’t think they really care. They’re really busy.

For more information on Bridesmaids, visit their official site.

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