Rose Byrne’s roles span many nationalities—some may have first acquainted themselves with her as a high Trojan priestess in 2004’s Troy, but she’s since played everything from a high-strung American in Bridesmaids to a sinister Eastern European in Spy. She even played American icon Gloria Steinem on television’s Mrs. America. With such a slew of impeccable accent work, it might come as a surprise to some that Ms. Byrne is, in fact, Australian.
In fact, Rose would rather you not forget this. The proud Sydneysider has partnered with Tourism Australia to showcase her home country’s finest aspects—of which there are several. In a new short film, Come and Say G’Day, Byrne is encouraging visitors to do exactly that. We sat down with the actress to find out what it is she loves most about Australia.
When you're traveling within Australia, where are you going? And why?
Well, I've been exploring a little more. I went to Uluru for this campaign, and it was absolutely breathtaking. I can't recommend it enough. It's truly a sacred spiritual experience. My dad and I just love the rock. It's very clear why it is such a sacred place and why it's so important in indigenous culture. The colors, and as the day goes on, the sunsets and the shifting shapes in the rock—it’s really quite breathtaking. And it's the middle of nowhere. It's just like, the closest you can feel to being on Mars or something. It's really extraordinary. I want to go back and take my family.
How do you get there?
We took a direct flight from Sydney. They have direct flights from Melbourne as well.
Sydney’s where you’re from. Where are you going when you're there?
I love the beach and the best cure for jet lag is to hit the ocean. The north end of Bondi Beach is a beautiful spot for a swim. The southern end of Bronte I love. The Maroubra baths are also a really refreshing seaside swim. That's always a great spot to hit. And, you know, there's so many wonderful places to eat. Bill’s Café is a kind of stalwart Australian institution, and there are a few of them. There's one in Double Bay, there's one in Darlinghurst and Surry Hills, and they all have incredible breakfasts, incredible coffee.
Your order?
Ricotta hotcakes and a great coffee.
You came up in the Australian entertainment industry. What's the theatre scene in Australia like?
It's really vibrant. We have some world-class actors, performers, stage designers, costume designers, and artistic directors in Australia, and more and more up-and-coming young people and independent theater. I've had a long relationship with the Sydney Theatre Company. I've done many shows there and I was hoping to get back to perform soon. COVID has obviously thrown a spanner in the works, but the Belvoir Street Theatre is another fantastic leader in Australia that's got a long, rich, really great history. It's definitely, I think, still finding its feet after COVID. I still remember my first mainstage production and the adrenaline and being a young actor feeling so unbelievably lucky to be performing.
What was your first mainstage performance?
It was a play called La Dispute with Benedict Andrews directing. I didn't graduate from drama school. I certainly didn't think that I would be getting a play at the Sydney Theatre Company when I was cast—it was very, very overwhelming and surreal.
What is one thing that you loved about growing up in Australia?
There's a sense of laidbackness that is very core to who I am. I think there's a sense of calm and not taking oneself too seriously. And I think that can come in handy in the life experiences we have. Yeah, it's a strong thing. And Australians have a wonderful sense of the irreverent, a wonderful sense of humor. We also have the ability to fit in a lot of places; I think we can be chameleons. And there's a great curiosity in Australia because we're so far away–a genuine interest in visiting other places. There's a great tradition of—after you finish high school—just going overseas for a year; you take a gap year, work for six months in a bar, and then you save up and travel around for a year. And that's something that I cherished and loved, and that I did myself and so did my my sisters and my brothers. So yeah, there's a down-to-earth quality in Australia that I definitely feel when I'm there, and that I miss.
How does your lifestyle in Australia compare to your lifestyle in New York?
New York is at a different pace; it's just a different density, you know—living so close together changes your physiological makeup. It's a different kind of living, and look, I love the city. I'm a city girl. I grew up in a city and I love Brooklyn.
Moving out of Australia, what is the coolest place that you've ever shot on location?
Uluru in Australia! it was extraordinary. And the second most interesting place I ever shot on Earth—on Earth [laughs]—on my job was Phnom Penh in Cambodia. I did this tiny movie that Matt Dillon directed and wrote, called City of Ghosts. And we shot there for six weeks. I was 22 and it was amazing.
What about the best vacation you went on recently?
We haven't done one for a long time. [Journalist] Laura Brown got married, and she had been planning this wedding for years. But because of it, it was so fun; we went to Kauai, Hawaii, where I've never been. And I was just delighted. It was so lush, I felt like I wasn't in America; it felt like a totally different country. The people were so warm and beautiful.
