“I see the film as this extraordinary creative expression that Mary Bronstein had to get out. The story is not even linear; it’s very abstracted and Lynchian. I see beyond me, and that’s wild. The film is such a clear, angry, wild expression of a feeling that I feel.”
-Rose Byrne, episode 430 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Rose Byrne has taken many forms on-screen. In Mary Bronstein’s new film If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, she delivers a career-defining performance as a Long Island therapist and mother slowly unraveling under the weight of her child’s mysterious illness.
We begin by discussing the maternal madness at the heart of this new film from A24 (6:30), the long, collaborative road to shaping the character (10:00), and what it was like to have Conan O’Brien as a scene partner (13:30). Then, Byrne reflects on her debut performance in Dallas Doll (19:45), the plays and poems that inspired her as a teenager (22:30), and a formative role in the cult classic Two Hands, opposite the late Heath Ledger (26:00).
In the back half, we unpack the sexism she faced in Hollywood in the aughts (32:40), her unexpected comedic breakthrough in Bridesmaids and Neighbors (37:15), and the fruitful collaborations with Seth Rogen that followed (39:50). To close, Byrne pays tribute to two of her enduring artistic influences—filmmaker David Lynch (45:00) and playwright Arthur Miller (47:00).
Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at talkeasypod@gmail.com.
Show-notes:
- See If I Had Legs I’d Kick You in theaters.
- Watch more of Rose’s work in Platonic, Physical, Mrs. America, Neighbors, Bridesmaids, Damages, Get Him to the Greek, Marie Antoinette, and Two Hands.
- Follow her on Instagram.
- For more talks, hear Seth Rogen, Cate Blanchett, and Viola Davis.
- Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.
Illustrations by Krishna Shenoi. Reference photograph by Sarah Schneider.
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