January 13, 2026 — 5:28pm
Save
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
Save this article for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.
Got it
AAA
Rose Byrne is on a roll. Since December, the Australian star has won four best actress awards for her performance in A24’s haunting comedy-drama If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, the most recent of which was delivered on Monday at the 83rd Golden Globes.
“We shot this movie in 25 days for like $8.50. This is like a tiny film, so this is a huge thing to be up here,” the 46-year-old Balmain-born actor said during her acceptance speech.
Since having her screen debut with Ann Turner’s Dallas Doll in 1994, Byrne has enjoyed an extremely varied career, starring in the X-Men series, horror franchises, buddy comedies, romantic crime capers and auteur-led hits. She’s even become the face of recent Domain ads.
The question now is whether she’ll clinch the win at the biggest night in Hollywood, the Academy Awards in March. In the meantime, here are 10 of Byrne’s best performances to stream before the Oscars.
Related Article
Two Hands (SBS On Demand, ABC iview)
This 1999 crime caper, directed by Gregor Jordan (Buffalo Soldiers, Dirt Music), is where Byrne truly broke onto the scene. She plays a quintessentially sweet country girl who, after travelling to the big city, is drawn into the criminal underworld by her newfound crush, small-time hustler Jimmy (played by a 19-year-old Heath Ledger).
It’s an offbeat adventure that chaotically weaves together comedy, crime and romance. But it’s the chemistry between Byrne and Ledger, two little-known Australian actors at the time, that truly sells it.
The camera scene in particular, in which Ledger is left speechless by Byrne as she poses for a photo, displays their undeniable chemistry. Their charm didn’t stop after the credits ended either – Byrne and Ledger’s quirky US promotional campaign is surely one of the most fun movie marketing efforts to date.
Troy (Binge, HBO Max)
From eccentric crime caper to Greek mythological epic, Byrne’s filmography is a varied one. In Wolfgang Petersen’s Troy (2004), a retelling of the Trojan War, she plays a Trojan priestess given to the Greek hero Achilles (Brad Pitt) as a war prize. Despite his power over her, the pair fall in love.
It’s a complex love story, one that begins with Byrne as Achilles’ slave-concubine, but she performs it with appropriate nuance. Though Byrne was already well-known in Australia, the star-studded Troy propelled her into the Hollywood mainstream.
Marie Antoinette (Netflix, Stan*)
Byrne took a stroll through French history in Sofia Coppola’s 2006 historical drama Marie Antoinette. Playing the Duchess of Polignac, the Queen’s close confidant who has a penchant for gossip and manipulation, Byrne’s performance leans into opulence and glamour – a perfect contrast to the volatility brewing beyond Versailles.
Damages (10Play)
Byrne has done a bit of television, but Damages is arguably her most critically lauded turn on the small screen. The legal thriller explores the complicated relationship between ruthless litigator Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) and her brilliant but naive protege Ellen Parsons (Byrne) as they take on massive cases against powerful figures.
The series ran for five seasons, beginning in 2007 and concluding in 2012. Byrne held her own beside Close, earning two Golden Globe nominations and two Emmy nods for her performance.
Rose Byrne held her own against the powerhouse that is Glenn Close in Damages.Insidious (Stan)
Though Byrne featured in 28 Weeks Later in 2007, the Insidious franchise really strengthened her horror chops. Beginning in 2011, James Wan’s supernatural horror series follows families who are terrorised by demons from a spiritual realm called “The Further”. Byrne plays the mother in one of these families, whose son becomes a vessel for spirits, his soul trapped in the alternate realm.
There are now five Insidious films, and Byrne features in three. While the creepy red-faced demon tends to steal focus, Byrne still manages to bring family dynamics to the forefront, making this horror series more than simple haunted house fare.
Rose Byrne has starred in three of the Insidious films, including Insidious: The Red Door.Nicole Rivelli/Sony PicturesBridesmaids (Binge, Stan, Prime Video)
Byrne has said she was “useless” at comedic acting early in her career, but if Bridesmaids is any indication, she was born to make people laugh.
In the 2011 Paul Feig comedy, two women – Kristen Wiig and Byrne – battle it out for maid of honour duties in their mutual friend’s upcoming wedding. Byrne is almost too convincing as the snobby, two-faced “superwoman”, and the scene in which she and Wiig try to one-up each other during an engagement party speech, eventually diving into a duet of Dionne Warwick’s That’s What Friends Are For, never gets old.
Bad Neighbours (Binge)
After Bridesmaids, Byrne went on something of a comedy crusade. In 2014, she paired up with comedy legend Seth Rogen and Zac Efron to release Bad Neighbours, an adult comedy that follows new parents Mac (Rogen) and Kelly (Byrne) as they go to war with the wild fraternity next door.
It’s filthy fun with a dose of pathos, and Byrne and Rogen sublimely play newbie parents still dying to be young and cool – a relatable struggle for many. Special mention must also be given to the scene featuring a party filled with Robert de Niros. It’s comedy gold.
Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen are not to be messed with in Bad Neighbours.Universal PicturesSpy (Stan, Disney+)
A year after Bad Neighbours, Byrne went from annoyed first-time mum to Bulgarian arms dealer. Reuniting with director Feig, Byrne played Rayna Boyanov, a well-off criminal who is bent on creating a nuclear crisis. However, a formerly deskbound agent, played by Melissa McCarthy, goes undercover to stop her.
Byrne nonchalantly delivers biting lines to great comedic effect, such as when referring to her childhood in Bulgaria, a place where “poor people [are] everywhere and cabbage is constantly cooking”. It turns out playing the villain suits her.
Juliet, Naked (Stan, Amazon Prime)
Byrne and Ethan Hawke shine in this 2018 rom-com directed by Jesse Peretz and based on Nick Hornby’s 2009 novel. Byrne embodies Annie, a woman disillusioned with her music-obsessed boyfriend. However, after writing a negative review about an acoustic album by her partner’s idol, Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke), the artist reaches out to her and romance unexpectedly blossoms.
Only stars as confident and proficient as Byrne and Hawke could take such a contrived plot and turn it into a genuinely moving love story. It also shines an interesting light on music and male fandom.
Ethan Hawke (left), Rose Byrne (centre) and Chris O’Dowd (right) enter a complicated love triangle in Juliet, Naked.Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions/APPlatonic (Apple TV)
Byrne reunites with Rogen in this refreshing take on the buddy comedy, which demonstrates how men and women can (more or less) be friends.
The duo play Sylvia and Will, two best friends who fell out following a disagreement over the latter’s fiancee. However, they reconcile later in life when Will is divorced and Sylvia is a slightly disenchanted stay-at-home mum. All sorts of hijinks ensue, and good news for Byrne fans: the show has been renewed for a third season.
*Stan is owned by Nine, the owner of this masthead.
Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.
Save
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
From our partners