The 2007 role that almost permanently typecast Rose Byrne: “You can get pigeonholed really quickly”
In 2025, Rose Byrne gave one of the best performances of the entire year in Mary Bronstein’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.
As Linda, a woman struggling to balance her job as a therapist and raising her sick child in the absence of her husband, she brilliantly crafted a character who was simultaneously sympathetic and self-destructive, embodying the many struggles facing modern women. The role landed her a Golden Globe award and a nomination for ‘Best Actress’ at the Oscars. As good as Jessie Buckley was in Hamnet, for my money, Byrne should have taken home the statuette.
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You represented something of a career makeover for the Australian, who until then was mostly known as a comedic performer. Through celebrated roles in Neighbors, Bridesmaids, and Instant Family, she quickly established herself as one of the funniest women in Hollywood, and while it’s not like she was completely shut out of other genres, she still managed to land a central part in the Insidious franchise; comedy is still how a lot of people see her.
As it turns out, we might have a very unusual project to thank for Byrne’s comedic prowess; between 2007 and 2012, she starred in the FX (later Audience Network) legal drama Damages as Ellen Parsons, a recent law school graduate who is taken under the wing of revered lawyer Patty Hewes (Glenn Close).
Over the course of five seasons, each one focusing on a new case, the duo’s relationship becomes more and more strained. The show was well-received and had a dedicated fan base, and Byrne was nominated for two Emmys for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series’.
Byrne has been very open about her love for Damages, once referring to it as one of her most underrated roles. Speaking with the Los Angeles Times, she explained how it was the perfect crash course in the wild world of national television.
“That show was tricky, getting used to how TV worked, with writers writing until the very last minute,” she explained, “Glenn, well, she’s Glenn, iconoclastic; she brings all of her roles with her. But she’s also eccentric, Glenn, and she’s funny, and she works so hard. Up close, seeing a great actor raises the bar. I was spoiled [getting] to watch her work every day for five years.”
However, as much as she enjoyed her time on the show, she also knew that she got out at the right time. “You can get pigeonholed really quickly,” she said, revealing that she was offered a string of roles similar to Parsons in the wake of Damages’ success. “I made the very conscious decision to do something comedic.”
While there’s nothing wrong with being good at one type of character, for an actor as diverse as Byrne, it was never going to cut it. Her decision to vary her portfolio after Damages wrapped up might just have been the best choice she’s ever made.
