Rose Byrne, known for her diverse roles in Hollywood, recently appeared on the popular interview show Hot Ones with Sean Evans, where she faced the challenge of spicy wings. The 46-year-old actress discussed her latest movie and shared insights about her admiration for Julia Louis-Dreyfus, among other topics. Throughout the conversation, Byrne also reflected on the experience of portraying complex characters and the fearsome demon in the horror film Insidious.
Portraying Complex Addiction in New Film
In her new film, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Byrne takes on the role of Linda, a character struggling with heavy drinking, marijuana use, and lack of sleep. She explains the difficulty of playing someone who is constantly inebriated, highlighting how people in that state expend great effort to appear normal. Byrne noted the challenge but also the enjoyment of tracking Linda’s gradual unraveling throughout the movie.
My character Linda is drinking and smoking a lot of pot and not sleeping throughout the film. And it’s the key thing is that people who are, who are doing that or who are inebriated are just constantly recalibrating themselves and constantly making sure that they appear completely normal. Yes, I think it’s like, and the worse you get, the more you’re focused on doing that. I think I found. But that was a challenge with Linda because she’s unraveling throughout the film so it’s just like making sure we were tracking that. And it is very, it’s a very challenging role, but it’s also really fun to be able to do all that stuff. It’s like such a gift.
Rose Byrne, Actress
Why Julia Louis-Dreyfus Inspires Rose Byrne
Byrne expressed a deep admiration for Julia Louis-Dreyfus, describing her as one of her idols for her ability to skillfully balance comedic and dramatic roles. She mentioned enjoying watching performers venture into different genres, highlighting how rare and impressive it is when comedians succeed in serious acting. Byrne sees humor and seriousness as closely related, which makes transitions like Louis-Dreyfus’s particularly compelling to her.
I am obsessed with that terrain. Like it’s kind of my quiet obsession. I think someone like for you to mention it, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She’s one of my idols who can do that tightrope you know and I too I love like for example seeing someone like a Conan O’Brien do something dramatic. It’s always exciting when you see that transition. It’s harder to go the other way I think, so I feel like that’s, that’s why I think they’re actually more similar than different to be funny and to be serious.
Rose Byrne, Actress
Memories of the Terrifying Demon from Insidious
Byrne shared an intriguing behind-the-scenes story about the haunting demon character in Insidious, who was portrayed by a young actor named Ty. Despite the frightening makeup and costume that transformed the child into “Demon Joe,” the cast and crew worked carefully to keep the atmosphere light in the trailer to avoid traumatizing Ty. Byrne admired director James Wan’s skill in crafting such an effective horror figure.
Insidious, there was a really scary character that was a demon. And there was a little boy in the movie, this lovely actor Ty, and he was only 10 or something. And we would get ready, me, Ty and the demon altogether in the trailer, for the Demon Joe who’s so sweet and would come in and be like ‘Hi!’ and slowly he’d be like red and then black, weird eyes and then getting his fangs on and his nails and his crazy latex outfit. But we would all be there to try to make it normal, you know, so this little Ty wouldn’t like get traumatized and have haunting dreams for the rest of his life. But it was a good trick. It was a good thing to do yeah, but that was really scary and that character is really scary in the movie. James Wan knows what he’s doing.
Rose Byrne, Actress
The Wider Significance of Byrne’s Reflections
Rose Byrne’s comments highlight her thoughtful approach to acting and her respect for performers who push boundaries across genres, such as Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Her discussion about playing a troubled character and recalling a frightening film role reflects her versatility. Fans can look forward to seeing how Byrne continues to navigate challenging parts, drawing inspiration from her idols and the rigorous demands of her craft. Her interview encourages appreciation for actors who manage to balance humor and drama, as well as those who bravely tackle intense and unsettling roles.
