Rose Byrne Says Conan O’Brien Is a Better Therapist IRL Than Onscreen

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Rose Byrne is earning attention for playing a particularly challenging character in the new film, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. The movie, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, features Byrne as Linda, a complex character created by writer and director Mary Bronstein. We recently spoke with Byrne about how she developed this frustrated character, her experience working with Conan O’Brien, and a surprising incident involving her apartment ceiling.

Mary Bronstein had been developing this film for years, and I was interested to hear when I first became involved. She’d actually been working on it for a full seven years when the script came to me through my agent. I was immediately impressed – it was a fantastic read with lots of unexpected twists. Even the more unusual elements of the movie were clearly present in the script. What you see on screen is elevated, but it all started on the page. After speaking with Mary, I learned this story was deeply personal to her, which gave the project a strong foundation.

I’m a bit of a curious person, especially when it comes to my craft, and thankfully, she was wonderfully open with me. We really bonded during rehearsals – it was about two months of meeting at her place, working three or four days a week for hours. It wasn’t just about the lines, though; we’d often share stories about motherhood and our kids. But we *did* go through everything with a fine-tooth comb – every single sentence, comma, and little mark!

I was really interested in understanding Linda as a person *before* the difficult events of the story began. That was my main focus – figuring out who she was at her core. I believe that a crisis truly shows you what someone is made of, and that understanding informed all of her actions during the trauma. From a technical standpoint, I enjoyed working with the cinematographer to express that. Linda is very disconnected from her body and her own sense of self, and that guided how I approached her physical performance. I remember on the first day of filming, the camera was incredibly close to my face, and I instinctively asked if it needed to be. I’m as concerned with how I look as anyone, and the cinematographer just said, ‘Yes.’

One of the most interesting aspects of the film is Linda’s struggle with her daughter, who we hear about frequently but never actually see. Mary, the character I play, intentionally avoided seeing her daughter. I worked closely with Delaney Quinn, the actress playing the daughter, even rehearsing with her before she auditioned. We developed a strong working relationship, and it was crucial for both me and Delaney that she felt present throughout the entire process. Because of this, it always felt to me as though she was right there on set with us.

People have asked if the scenes where my character was on the phone with her husband were filmed as they happened, without stopping and starting. And yes, that’s how we did them, because it’s challenging to act naturally on the phone, especially when you’re playing a scene with a significant other. My character is often upset with her husband, so I really had to be quite harsh with Christian Slater during those scenes.

The movie really focuses on how Linda’s experiences as a mother shape her feelings of guilt. We were curious if that resonated with you as a parent. But even if you’re not a parent, the film touches on universal feelings of being overwhelmed, losing control, and experiencing burnout. While Linda’s specific situation is unique, it’s been great to see so many people connect with the overall emotional experience.

One thing that really got to me in the movie was this huge hole in the ceiling of the main character’s apartment – it just seemed so stressful! It made me wonder if you’ve ever dealt with any weird problems at home. I actually had a terrible experience with mice once – they were literally running all over my feet, it was awful! And a friend of mine in New York had something even worse happen. Her ceiling actually *fell in*, just like in the movie! I was so shocked. It happened right before I was about to start a big project, and she sent me videos of these guys in full hazmat suits coming to fix it. It was crazy!

The script beautifully mirrored life’s challenges, like a leaky roof or a child’s struggles. It didn’t provide solutions, but instead, thoughtfully raised questions.

I was curious about Conan O’Brien’s role as my therapist in the show. He’s a fantastic performer, and Mary, our director, had a great idea casting him. He was incredibly collaborative and treated the role with a lot of respect. He actually rehearsed extensively with Mary before I even joined, as I was busy with another project. He really nailed the performance, and it’s surprisingly different from his usual on-screen persona. The character he plays isn’t a very *good* therapist, which is ironic because Conan, as a talk show host, kind of *is* a therapist in a way – listening to people all day. It’s a really funny, though somewhat dark, portrayal.

I get asked about his performance a lot, and it’s interesting. He’s not playing for laughs, but that’s actually what makes it funny. Because everyone knows him as a comedic actor, it challenges the audience to adjust to a more subdued and tense portrayal, and it really works.

You’ve worked on a variety of projects – independent films, television, and big comedies. I’m interested in understanding your process for choosing roles and deciding what kind of project to take on. It really comes down to what opportunities are presented to you. I’ve always been drawn to comedy; I was a big fan of shows like *Fawlty Towers* and performers like John Cleese and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, so getting to work in that genre was a major goal. Often, your career path is just as much about the projects you *don’t* choose.

Okay, so this movie really leans into those relatable coping mechanisms – you see *a lot* of emotional eating, and honestly, a lot of general chaos. There’s this extended sequence with pizza that was surprisingly detailed – we’re talking intense discussions about cheese placement and whether slices were falling off! Beyond that, there’s a constant undercurrent of escapism – characters are either getting high, drinking, or desperately trying to find a way out of their circumstances, even if it’s just through deep breathing exercises. It’s a really anxious, high-energy film, fueled by this constant need to *get away* from something.

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2025-10-11 00:55